Martin Brundle explains why he feels sorry for Michael Schumacher but not guilty

Former F1 ace Martin Brundle has admitted that he harbours no guilt over the tragic fates of Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna. The seasoned 64-year-old, who had the unique opportunity to know both Schumacher and Senna not just on the track but also personally, recently opened up about missing the time spent with the iconic duo.

It has been three decades since the motorsport world was rocked by Senna's death at Imola, Italy, and Schumacher hasn't been seen publicly since his devastating skiing accident in 2013.

Brundle said he felt sorry the pair couldn't fully savour the monumental legacies they crafted in Formula One, hailing them as two of the sport's all-time greats.

"I miss [Ayrton Senna], and it's the same with Michael Schumacher," Brundle revealed during an interview with F1 Beyond The Grid. "I feel sorry for them that they missed the upside of their greatness."

Confronted with the question of whether he feels any remorse for retiring from racing without injury, akin to soldiers surviving while comrades fall, Brundle said: "Nope, not at all. Because it's voluntary. You drive a racing car because you want to. Nobody makes you do it, because you want the pleasure, the privilege, the thrill, the glory."

He said: "Racing drivers are quite selfish people... it's such a competitive environment and I think you become sort of numb [to the thought of drivers dying], otherwise how can you do it? If you're frightened of dying or hurting yourself, or somebody gets injured and you think, 'Oh I don't fancy that,' you're in the wrong business."

Brundle, who raced alongside Senna in Formula 3 during the 1980s before both progressed to F1, achieved his career-best finish in the 1992 season, securing sixth place overall while partnering with a young Schumacher at Benetton, who finished third.

Discussing what set Senna and Schumacher apart, Brundle said: "Senna was a man driven by his heart. He had a God-given talent for grip and speed and understanding of how a car works... I think Max Verstappen's got that gift.

"Michael was driven [by] his head. He was slightly more methodical. I don't think he had the raw speed of Ayrton, but he was really clever inside the car and outside the car, and I think that's where he made the difference. He galvanised the whole team around him."

"For me, the greatest driver of all time was Ayrton Senna. He had this incredible gift and talent... he was quite a complex individual. But the more rounded driver was Michael."