IT IS a sport where fatal risks, extreme pressure and bitter rivalries are the norm.
But off the track Formula One is a playboy’s paradise decorated by yachts, supermodels and the millionaire high life.
AlamyMichael Schumacher celebrates with his race engineer Pat Symonds in Australia in November 1994[/caption]
AlamySchumacher drinks a Koelsch beer at his anniversary party in the Mercedes GP motorhome at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps near Spa, Belgium, 27 August 2011[/caption]
So it’s little wonder many drivers have been known to party at top speed.
And The Sun can exclusively lift the lid on the hellraising sessions that took place in the 90s, a wild era for the sport.
Ex-Red Bull boss Richard Hopkins recalled a time Mercedes legend Mika Hakkinen drank a whole bottle of vodka after a race in the late 90s, which left him “almost dead.”
Hopkins, head of operations at Red Bull from 2013 to 2015, told The Sun: “Hakkinen drank a bottle of vodka in one Sunday night.
“I was like Jesus Christ, I never knew. I thought he might have a little sip or a shot or something, but to down a bottle of vodka?
“He wouldn’t turn up the next day, which was a Monday so that was fine, but he had some media stuff the next day and you’d find out he was extraordinarily hungover.
“It was in Germany I think during the ‘98 or ‘99 season, probably Hockenheimring, it was during his Mercedes days and they had a function after.
“It was with his wife. His wife at the time would lead him astray a little bit, but Mika didn’t need a lot to lead him astray.
“He was another who never enjoyed the media and always came across as very reclusive, but he certainly wasn’t.
“You got him outside the race track, even at the race track, and what you saw on TV and in an interview was someone who said very few words.
“But he was a great practical joker, a great comedian. Good fun. And still is amazing fun.”
He added: “Mika was almost dead! But in fairness there was evidence he could handle that. He’s Finnish and they like their vodka, so I think he had some decent stamina.
“But he wasn’t really standing by the end of it, put it that way. None of us would be.”
Hopkins would enjoy regular coffees with Ferrari great Michael Schumacher from 1993, when he was a mechanic at McLaren and the German was driving for Benetton.
Seven-time title winner Schumacher developed a fearsome reputation on the track as a ruthless operator who would stop at nothing to win races.
But friends say the German cut a different figure after a race – and “there are some stories that you couldn’t print”.
Hopkins, from the UK, says the German was easily swayed by teammate and party animal, Eddie Irvine.
The Northern Irishman would lead celebrations after a race, particularly if his Ferrari side had been victorious.
Hopkins added: “I don’t know if he and Eddie were good friends. They just partied together.
AlamySchumacher at the Amber lounge F1 after party in Dubai in November 2009[/caption]
AlamySchumacher cracking open a bottle of champagne in Austalia in 1994[/caption]
“But Eddie could lead anybody astray, bloody hell.
“If Eddie saw an opportunity, where if somebody’s won a race or a championship, then he was going to be in among it and quite happily buying the champagne and the vodka.”
Schumacher was well-known among drivers for a famous party trick, where he’d jump them and rip off his shirt.
Asked about this, Hopkins said: “That wouldn’t surprise me. I think they all needed to let their hair down at some point.
“Even Ayrton Senna and a lot of these guys, they let their hair down very well. There are some stories that you couldn’t print.
“I’ve heard Schumacher partied on Bernie Ecclestone’s rooftop. A lot of drivers are like coiled up springs, right? They spend the season coiling up and getting tense with everything.
“Schumacher, even though he was quite robotic and Germanic, allowed himself time to unwind. And Schumacher, for sure, did unwind.
“I can’t tell you specifics of things I’ve seen. There were some good moments at a log cabin at Suzuka, which was renowned on a Sunday night. Lots of championships were won there, lots of parties were had there.
“There were a couple of years where I remember Schumacher and Irvine having quite a good time together. But I can’t say more…”
Christian Danner, the first Formula One driver disqualified for dangerous driving, also has memories of Schumacher letting loose.
Danner, now a commentator on German TV, says Schumacher would love a cigar and a Bacardi and coke.
What happened to Michael Schumacher?
MICHAEL Schumacher’s life was hanging by a thread 12 years ago as medics tried desperately to keep him alive after a tragic skiing crash that left him with horrific brain injuries.
The F1 legend was given the best possible treatment as he was put into a medically induced coma, had his body temperature lowered and underwent hours of tricky operations on his brain.
Back in 2013, the retired seven-time world champion, and his then 14-year-old son set off on the Combe de Saulire ski run in the exclusive French resort of Meribel.
Footage from his helmet camera revealed he was not travelling at excessive speed when his skis struck a rock hidden beneath the snow.
He catapulted forward 11.5ft and crashed into a boulder head first that split his helmet into two and left him needing to be airlifted to hospital for two life-saving operations.
At one point his family were told to brace themselves for the worst case scenario as the situation was much worse than originally believed.
At the time, medics said Schumacher was likely to stay in an induced coma for at least 48 hours as his body and mind recovered.
But the coma ended up lasting 250 days – more than eight months.
After he woke up in June 2014, he was discharged from hospital and sent to his home in Lake Geneva to get further treatment.
Since then his wife Corinna and his inner circle of friends have expertly avoided almost anything leaking out about his health status.
Only small amounts of information have been released including reports that Schumacher was in a wheelchair but can react to things around him.
In 2019, it was said that Schumacher was set to undergo breakthrough stem cell therapy in a bid to regenerate and rebuild his nervous system.
Renowned France cardiologist Dr Philippe Menasche, who had operated on him previously, was set to carry out the treatment that would see cells from his heart go to his brain.
Following the treatment at the Georges Pompidou Hospital in Paris, he was said to be “conscious”, although few other details were given about his state.
Bernie Ecclestone’s motorhome was a known hotspot for drivers to get together for a party, he added.
The ex-Arrows star told The Sun: “Michael’s way of partying was that he usually went to Bernie Ecclestone’s private motorhome, had his friends there and drank a lot of Bacardi and Coca-Cola, and that was it.
“It wasn’t, as far as I was concerned, partying, but the content of these kind of parties for him consisted of Bacardi and Coca-Cola, and that was all.
“He was back on his feet on Monday and kept on pushing, absolutely, but everybody did that.
“All the good drivers, all the champions did that.”
Danner added: “Ecclestone’s home was a neutral territory. The paddock then was quite different.
“There were a lot of animosities between the teams, Williams and Ferrari for instance, there were a lot of bad vibes.
“But Ecclestone’s motorhome was a place to meet casually. Not in Ecclestone’s motorhome, he had his bus and that was for politics and business.
“It was a place for a chat, ‘have you seen this’ or whatever. It was a kind of trading place for gossip and for a nice coffee and a Bacardi and coke, for Schumacher.”
He added: “Schumacher loved a cigar, yes.
“But personally whenever someone is smoking a cigar, I’m leaving the room.”
Schumacher suffered serious brain injuries in a devastating skiing accident in 2013.
He has not been seen since and his family have not disclosed his condition.
