logo
Inside wild 90s F1 parties from driver downing so much vodka ‘he almost died' to Schumacher tearing his shirt off

Inside wild 90s F1 parties from driver downing so much vodka ‘he almost died' to Schumacher tearing his shirt off

The Irish Sun18-05-2025
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.
Advertisement
5
Michael Schumacher celebrates with his race engineer Pat Symonds in Australia in November 1994
Credit: Alamy
5
Schumacher 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
Credit: Alamy
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.
Advertisement
More on Schumacher
'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.
Advertisement
Most read in Motorsport
'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.
Emotional moment Michael Schumacher's son and Sebastian Vettel pay tribute to stricken F1 legend
'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.
Advertisement
'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
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".
Advertisement
Hopkins, from the UK, says the German was easily swayed by teammate and party animal,
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.
5
Schumacher at the Amber lounge F1 after party in Dubai in November 2009
Credit: Alamy
Advertisement
5
Schumacher cracking open a bottle of champagne in Austalia in 1994
Credit: Alamy
'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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
'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.
Advertisement
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
Footage from his helmet camera revealed he was
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
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
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
In 2019, it was said that
Renowned
Following
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.
Advertisement
'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.
Advertisement
'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.
Advertisement
He has not been seen since and his family have not disclosed his condition.
5
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Song about walk through Dublin wins Tipperary International Song of Peace Contest
Song about walk through Dublin wins Tipperary International Song of Peace Contest

Irish Independent

time12 minutes ago

  • Irish Independent

Song about walk through Dublin wins Tipperary International Song of Peace Contest

Kenny received a crystal award and a cheque for €500. The announcement of the winning finalist was made by actor Patrick Bergin (Sleeping With The Enemy), who was chair of the judging panel. There were six finalists on the night of Wednesday, August 20, held in Templeneiry Church, Bansha. A runner up prize, the Mick Tuohy Perpetual Cup, went to the Irish-German-Dutch collaboration of Buddy Sutton, Julius Wandelt and Peter Reinders with their song entitled It's Time for Peace. Kenny Grant is originally from Scotland, now living in Malahide, Co Dublin. Kenny is a previous winner of the Tipperary Song of Peace with A Child in A War in 2014. More recently, he co-wrote five songs for the album Cool to Be Kind by the English band Sunbirds, fronted by singer Dave Hemingway, formerly of The Housemartins and The Beautiful South. Kenny's entry for this year's competition, A Hundred Thousand Welcomes, describes a walk across central Dublin, from Custom House Quay on the River Liffey, where the haunting figures of the Irish Famine Memorial crouch towards the Jeanie Johnson famine ship, to the Grand Canal, where refugees fleeing famine, war and oppression in our own day have set up their makeshift camp. On the same night, the final of the inaugural Darby Ryan International Poetry Contest took place at the same venue. The winner of the contest was Fidelma Nugent from Ballydrehid, Cahir, Co Tipperary, with her poem called The Weave of Home. Fidelma is a musician, poet, and choir director. She is currently undertaking a PhD in music, focusing on Catholicism in the choral works of Olivier Messiaen. Her writing is deeply rooted in a sense of place, community, and memory. As both musician and poet, she is drawn to the rhythm and musicality of language, exploring how poetry and music echo and influence one another. Fidelma received a cheque for €300 from John Grogan, the great, great, great grandson of the late Darby Ryan. There were also six finalists in the poetry contest and second prize went to Julie Ryan, Galbally, Co Limerick, with her poem entitled The Undertaker. Third prize went to Sylvia Greene from Tipperary town with her poem, The Garda and the Car.

Roy Keane holds off tears after showing old photos of parents
Roy Keane holds off tears after showing old photos of parents

Irish Daily Mirror

time40 minutes ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

Roy Keane holds off tears after showing old photos of parents

Roy Keane was fighting back the tears as he showed old photos of his parents, Maurice and Marie, on Gary Neville's Overlap podcast this week. The latest edition of 'Stick to Football' saw Keane, Neville, Jill Scott, Ian Wright and Jamie Carragher bring in old sentimental items for a show and tell section. After the others had gone through their items, Keane showcased old jerseys, old contracts and a few photographs of his early playing days at Manchester United. READ MORE: Roy Keane and Gary Neville tell all on their Manchester United contracts READ MORE: 'The best news' - Stephen Bradley reacts to son Josh's all-clear after three-year battle with leukaemia Looking back on a photo of his parents, Keane said: "You're on about photos, look at that there. "You're on about family, the ups and downs of football. But when you see your family at Wembley after you've won a big game..." A photo including Roy Keane's parents, Maurice and Marie. (Image: The Overlap YouTube channel) Keane was visibly emotional and was comforted by friend Wright with a firm hand on his shoulder. Gary Neville holding a photo of Roy Keane. (Image: The Overlap YouTube Channel) "That's beautiful,' Wright said on the photo. Scott and Neville carried on the conversation in a rare emotional moment for the ex-United captain. Keane's father, Maurice 'Mossie' Keane, sadly died in 2019 at the age of 79 following a stroke. He also showed a picture of him and his brothers taking a break from a kickabout: "I'm in a United top there, but that was my brother's, I think the Spurs ones were sold out." Keane and Neville also revealed details of their contracts at United, "There is a contract for £2.75m-a-year in 2000 to 2003,' said Neville (talking about Keane's contract). 'Signing on fee for £1m. Wow. So you got £3.75m-a-year.' 'Then you've renewed and gone to £3.5m-per-annum in 2003-2005. And then they put your wages down?' questioned Neville, with Keane explaining that at United, older players had their salaries reduced, but they were eligible for more performance-based bonuses. "That's double what I was earning in my last contract,' said Neville, comparing his contract to Keane's, with Jamie Carragher claiming that Neville was underpaid for the quality of player that he was. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .

My niece, 17, was excited to let her hair down and have fun with her boyfriend at Leeds Festival but she never came home
My niece, 17, was excited to let her hair down and have fun with her boyfriend at Leeds Festival but she never came home

The Irish Sun

time2 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

My niece, 17, was excited to let her hair down and have fun with her boyfriend at Leeds Festival but she never came home

Tragically, the young teenager's death is not the only drug-related death to be associated with UK festivals FESTIVAL TRAGEDY My niece, 17, was excited to let her hair down and have fun with her boyfriend at Leeds Festival but she never came home AROUND 90,000 people are expected to attend Leeds Festival over the bank holiday weekend, where headlining acts include Travis Scott and Limp Bizkit. But for Anna Short, the event - which runs from today (Thursday) until Sunday at the city's Bramhall Park - brings nothing but pain and heartbreak. 5 Anya Buckley died on August 26, 2019, after taking a cocktail of drugs at Leeds Festival 5 Anna Short says her family will never be the same again after Anya's tragic death at just 17 Credit: Mirrorpix Advertisement 5 Anya took a mixture of 'party drugs' - MDMA, ketamine and cocaine - and collapsed, dying from heart failure at the festival For Anna's niece Anya Buckley, 17, died on August 26, 2019, after taking a cocktail of drugs at the festival. 'As soon as you get over one milestone, another one comes around,' Anna, 52, told the The Mirror. 'It's really difficult on family occasions, because there's somebody missing. Her birthday, Christmas, weddings - any family event is really difficult. Advertisement ''But the anniversary of her death is the day you never want to remember.' Like thousands of fellow teenagers, Anya was looking forward to letting her hair down at the festival. She had just enjoyed a holiday with her friends and gone 'official' with her boyfriend Jack. But Anya took a mixture of 'party drugs' - MDMA, ketamine and cocaine - and collapsed. Advertisement Medical staff tried to revive Anya but tragically she was declared dead just after 3:30am on August 24, 2019. The court heard that ecstasy toxicity was likely to have been the central factor in her death, The Sun reported at the time. Tragically, Anya's is not the only drug-related death to be associated with UK festivals. Skydiver, 32, ended life by jumping 10,000ft from plane after split with boyfriend Between 2017 and 2023, 32 drug-related deaths were recorded at festivals in the UK. 18 of these were festival-goers aged under 18. Advertisement But according to drugs charity Loop, the number could be even higher, as currently there is no centralised system for recording drug deaths at festivals and events. Now Anya's relatives and the families of other teenagers who have tragically lost their lives in similar circumstances are urging event organisers to ''put people before profit''. As well as drug testing at all festivals, these families want young people to be educated on their potential dangers - and the festival organisers to provide a free water and ensure that swift medical help is available. Anna, of Oldham, said her late niece Anya came along before she had her own children and that pair were ''very close''. Now that Lily, Anna's daughter, is the same age as Anya when she tragically passed away the psychological impact is enormous. Advertisement 5 David Celino died at Leeds Festival just three years later Credit: PA 5 His dad Gianpiero Celino told the hearing at Wakefield Coroner's Court that drug dealers prey on teens Credit: Alamy Unfortunately, Anya's death was followed just three years later by that of David Celino, 16, from Worsley, in Greater Manchester. The teenager died in hospital after taking ecstasy at Leeds Festival in 2022. His dad Gianpiero Celino told the hearing at Wakefield Coroner's Court that drug dealers prey on teens "like the child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang". Advertisement Gianpiero said: "The ticket that could signal the death of another young person has already been sold. "It's out there somewhere. It's just not been cashed. "We think there's a problem with the availability and provision of drugs at the site. "We believe that, as it's currently run, the festival can't be safe for 16 or 17-year-olds who attend unaccompanied." The grieving dad told how he drove David to the festival, where the teen planned to celebrate his GCSE results with mates. Advertisement Gianpiero and his wife stayed in a hotel near the site in case David did not like camping. THE TOLL 'K' TAKES ON YOUR BODY KETAMINE can lead to death by putting pressure on the heart and respiratory system. But its other effects on the body, which are often irreversible, are horrifying, too. 'Ketamine bladder syndrome is one of the worst symptoms,' Dr Catherine Carney, an addiction specialist at Delamere, told Sun Health. This is where the breakdown of ketamine in the body causes inflammation in the bladder wall. It leaves people unable to hold urine and passing chunks of their bladder tissue. Some users face the prospect of having their bladders removed entirely. Dr Carney explains: 'The lining of the bladder can shrink over time and be extremely painful for those experiencing it. 'This can often lead to lower abdominal pain and pain when passing urine, as well as bleeding. 'It's usually what has forced people to get help because they can't tolerate it any more. 'We've had young men in agony, wetting the bed. 'Their whole life is focused on where there's a toilet because they can only hold urine for ten minutes. 'For a teenager or someone in their early 20s, that's absolutely life-changing. 'In some cases, the bladder damage progresses to the kidneys and people get kidney failure, too. 'This is developing in people who have been using for two years, so it is relatively quick.' Dr Carney adds that the urine samples of new guests checking into the clinic are often just a 'pot of blood'. This is followed by weeks of agony coming off the drug. An irony of ketamine use is people tend to take more and more to numb the pain of the side-effects it causes. Dr Carney says: 'There's nothing that we can give which is as strong as a medical anaesthetic (the ketamine). We can use codeine-based products or anti-inflammatories. 'Some antidepressants help at night, but the pain is hard to manage in the early days. 'Most people that come to us, the bladder will improve to the point that they don't need to have it removed. 'But once you've got a bladder that has shrunk to the size of 70ml, that's never getting better.' They also splashed out hundreds of pounds for David and his friends to say in a "Camping Plus" area with extra security. Tragic cases like those of Anya and David have led to calls from families for event organisers, police and the government to improve safety at UK festivals. Following the tragic death of her niece, Anna wants festivalgoers, who are tempted to take 'party drugs' to have access to information about the dangers in order to make an informed decision before they do so. 'Not enough is being done at festivals - particularly Leeds Festival - as David Celino lost his life a few years after Anya,' Anna told the publication. Advertisement 'It feels like the organisers just accept that this is what happens, which really makes me angry. ''Anya's death was so unnecessary. The UK is well behind other countries when it comes to drug policy.' Leeds Festival organisers Festival Republic were contacted for comment. Kate Porter, CEO of The Loop, says: 'It is difficult to understand the extent of drug-related deaths at festivals in the UK as there isn't a joined-up approach to collating this information. ''A database or similar would be helpful as we could look at contributing factors and work out what interventions could have reduced harm. ''What we do know, is that every drug death is potentially preventable. '

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store