Interview With Michael - Jackie Stewart

Broadcast on the Channel 9 telecast of the Australian Grand Prix, 12 November 1995. The interviewer is 3 times World Champion, Jackie Stewart.

JS : "2 times World Champion. Which was the most satisfying : the first, or the second?"

MS : "I have to say the second one was more satisfying during the season. In terms of feeling, myself, it was the first one because I remember well, after this race in Australia last year, I went to bed at about 9 o'clock, just to have a little relax before I went to the big party. And there came this amazing feeling up to me, and I felt myself: "I think I'm World Champion now," which I didn't have so much in this year because I was drunken before I actually went to bed and I didn't have the possibility to get this kind of feeling, but in terms of racing, and the way the championship has gone this year, it's certainly much more nice when you can participate each race and show each race how competitive you are.

JS : "Well, sitting behind you there are the trophies of the two last Grand Prixs you were successful in. What was your most satisfying Grand Prix of 1995?"

MS : "There were two actually. The 1st one was Hockenheim, definitely that was my biggest target for this year, to win a German Grand Prix. In terms of racing, after that it is certainly Nürburgring, and winning both home grand Grand Prixs is the most satisfying thing you can have, particularly in the way I won Nürburgring; it made a lot of fun to myself."

JS : "Now the number of confrontations that you had, the two of you, because it was basically the two of you. How has that affected your year, and any relationship that you might have had with your closest rival of this time?"

MS : "It has always been a strange relationship in my view. We had certain numbers of meetings where we saw each other and we spoken each other, and I mean, Damon is this sort of person who sometimes tells you how nice the day was and what's the time, and the next time you see him, he wouldn't even look at you. So it's difficult to come along with such a person, but I mean we are competitors, and we never have been best friends, and I don't need to expect him to be my best friend. I need to expect on the race circuit to fight with him, to fight fair with him, which I have to say most of the time he has done, and everything else doesn't matter to me - if he doesn't want to be my friend, I don't need to be his friend, and I don't need him as my friend. There are other persons I can do this with; I can have a very good battle on the circuit but after the race we can have good fun, so."

JS : "Now, you've had 2 championship years with Benetton, fantastic success, particularly this one. Now you're leaving the most successful team. You're going to a team that's got a very poor record, haven't won the World Championship for a driver for 16 years, 250 Grand Prixs. And the only people who have won there, Michael, is a very tough, white South African called Jody Scheckter who kicked ass all the time; Niki Lauda, 2 championships, who was a tough guy and really moved them around; way back Fangio, a man who loved them and left them, after only one Championshup. That's not a very good track record to be going to. Now, what takes you away from this fantastic success pattern that you've got and relationship, to a team,with, so far in modern times, not a very good history?"

MS : "Exactly what you've just explained. I think I don't need to explain anything more, because you've just said what kind of a challenge this is gonna be to me, and that's what I'm looking for."

JS : "But are you comfortable? You're a strong man, but you're very young. The history of young drivers going to Ferrari is not particularly good."

MS : "That's true. So let's change it."

JS : "You think they're willing to change, do you think they're there and receptive?"

MS : "I think that's the point. It's in my view, it's the right time to join Ferrari to have success with them. They are very close to make this last step, they are really willing to do this last step, and trying any effort they need to win the Championship, they're willing to. I am willing to, so what is wrong at this combination between me and them. And I'm pretty much look forward. I know it will not be troublefree; but even in Benetton it wasn't troublefree, the point is that the attention to the outside is a bit more in Ferrari, that's why it looks a bit more difficult in Ferrari than it is in Benetton. Whether it is or not I'm gonna find out, but I'm going to try my best. And, I'm pretty sure were going to have success, I'm pretty sure it takes a bit of time, but once we know each other and we work the way we should work we're going to have success."

JS : "They're going to have to listen to you."

MS : "I have to listen to them, they have to listen to me."

JS : "Not many years ago, you arrived, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed. Young and inexperienced and somewhat naive. You're now 2 time World Champion not very many years later. How's it changed your life?"

MS : "To be honest, except I'm married now, a married man, it hasn't changed much. I'm still probably naive, as you just said. I believe in certain things, but I think you have to. And you have to be naive to follow up what you want to achieve."

JS : "There must be a lot more in the case of media attention, because it's taken us 3 days to get this interview."

MS : "(laughs) That's true. I mean, in this respect, certainly there's a lot more attention towards me being twice World Champion compared to, may have finished once on the podium, is certainly different attention to the outside. But, at the end of the day you still have your private time, or you sit in a racing car, and that's the things you love to do, and that's where you rate yourself what has changed. And in this respect nothing has changed. If you speak about the things around you have to do, sure, there have been many changes."

JS : "Well, the best of luck tomorrow, best of luck for a 10th victory and congratulations on the championship."

MS : "Thank you very much."

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