Damon Hill has reflected on his heated battles with his 'arch nemesis' Michael Schumacher during Formula One's 1990s heyday.
While the Brit freely acknowledged there was a healthy bit of disdain between them, he also stated that the German was the gold standard throughout that era and that he brought the best out of his foes.
He told the F1 Nation podcast: "If you beat Michael Schumacher then you can say to yourself you have performed at the very highest level. If it wasn't for Michael Schumacher, my arch nemesis, if it wasn't for him you wouldn't know how to rank yourself in the pantheon.
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“So I think of myself as very fortunate to be in an era where there was Michael, Ayrton [Senna], Nigel [Mansell], Alain Prost. And I got a chance to compare myself with them. The quality of the competition is very important. You want to be put to the test, That is the real joy of sport and competition is getting the best out of yourself.
“You can only find out if that’s the best, or even beyond your best, if you’re up against the best.”
The rivalry between the pair was at its zenith towards the climax of the 1994 season when Schumacher led by one point going into the final race at Australia.
They crashed into one another on the 35th lap with many fans feeling it was a deliberately cynical act on the part of the Benetton driver, although Schumacher has always denied this.
Neither man being able to finish the race meant it was Schumacher who took his maiden title with Hill having to wait until 1996 to claim his sole drivers' championship.
Later in the chat, Hill also detailed how he felt he had to alter his driving style when in a one-on-one duel with the seven-time champ.
He added: “When you’ve got someone like Michael Schumacher and there’s a little bit of maybe bad blood, or maybe perceived bad blood between you and another competitor it can get a little bit more.
“You have to give them more of a wider berth whereas there’s other people who you kind of know them a little bit and know they won’t give you such a hard time.
"Racing drivers do change personality when they put their helmets on. It's a bit like most people when they get in their car, the red mist factor.
“You never know what people are going to be like.”
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