Former Formula One drivers never shed their need for speed
When part of your job requires living in the fast lane, it is difficult to suddenly walk away to an adrenaline-free environment, say experts
Formula One drivers are a special breed, intensely competitive thrill seekers driven by a need for speed and thirst for adrenaline.
Michael Schumacher, in critical condition in hospital with head injuries suffered in a skiing accident in the French Alps, would not have been the seven times world champion he was without those qualities.
Leaving the grand prix paddock can be a challenge for racing drivers, many of them still relatively young and accustomed to living life to the limit, who must seek their thrills elsewhere.
Schumacher, 44, took up motorcycle racing soon after he first retired from Ferrari in 2006, injuring his neck in a 2009 crash. Others, such as Australian Mark Webber who broke his leg while riding a mountain bike in an endurance event in Tasmania in 2010, have moved on to Le Mans.
"Michael loves to challenge race tracks on superbikes and he often excitedly shows his many amazing skydiving pictures on his phone," said the German's former Benetton teammate Martin Brundle, now a commentator for Sky.
It becomes habitual ... if you are somebody like Michael Schumacher, [speed is] part of what your life is
"He's only a year out of the F1 cockpit but, as a driven and competitive person, you can't simply switch off and settle down at the end of a long career. You need challenges and achievements to keep the adrenaline flowing.