Michael Schumacher’s touching gesture that “embarrassed” James Vowles

James Vowles revealed how Michael Schumacher once "embarrassed" him with one of his thoughtful gestures

Former Mercedes strategist James Vowles has shared a touching story of how Michael Schumacher "embarrassed" him during their time working together between 2010 and 2012. The now team principal of Williams Racing opened up on his relationship with the German while speaking on the High Performance podcast.

Vowles worked closely with Schumacher during the driver's years at Mercedes following his break from the championship that ran from 2007 to the beginning of 2010. At the time, Vowles served as Mercedes' chief strategist after being with the team over its many transformations. While Schumacher struggled to perform in Mercedes machinery, the Briton had plenty to compliment him on.

"So, first and foremost, he had a genuine interest in who you were and your life. I went motorbiking on track with him - as in race bikes - on track with him in Paul Ricard, and we had the time of our lives. We both still laugh about it for many years after that," Vowles told Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes.

“He knew at the time my partner’s birthday - flowers arrive at home - and it embarrassed me because I didn’t do that much.

"He would take a genuine interest in who you are, who your family is, what drives you. Every single person in the team. And that’s hard to do.

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG, Lewis Hamilton, McLaren, and Michael Schumacher, Mercedes AMG, in the post qualifying Press Conference

Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images

“And it’s not because he’s doing it because he wants to gain advantage. He does it because he really cares. That’s Michael.

“The Michael you had front-facing in front of the media is a very different Michael to what was behind the scenes. And that’s how he did it, fundamentally. So he would bring everyone on the journey and lead everyone on the journey.”

After such impressive performances with Benetton and Ferrari, Schumacher's time at Mercedes was underwhelming in comparison. But as he lay the foundations for the team's success in the future, his influence within the team was just as valuable.

“He was a leader that absolutely, he would say, ‘I’m going to go this way.’ The team would follow him there. So much so that both sides of the garage wanted him to do well," Vowles continued.

"So much so that one of my regrets in my career is we didn’t get a win for him. That still hurts me today. He deserved a win.”