Thirty years ago, one of the greatest drivers in history was forced to run most of a Formula 1 race using only fifth gear.

Amazingly, he finished second.

The 1994 Spanish Grand Prix is widely thought of as Michael Schumacher’s greatest race. His gearbox was almost entirely kaput. His team had basically given up hope his car would even last long enough to finish the race.

And yet, because he was Michael Schumacher—one of the most successful and complex individuals to have ever taken a flag—he never stopped trying to make something from nothing.

This show’s format rotates weekly, because squirrel. This episode is our monthly deep dive into an epic moment from racing history. In this case, that means the story of the ’94 Spanish GP and the day one man began to cement a legend.

This episode was produced by Sam Smith.

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Who We Are + Spicy Merch:

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ABOUT THE SHOW:

It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.

Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.

We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.

New episodes every Tuesday.