Michael Schumacher
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Good article Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox person Template:Michael Schumacher series
Michael Schumacher (Template:IPA; born 3 January 1969) is a German former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from Template:F1 to Template:F1 and from Template:F1 to Template:F1. Schumacher won a record-setting seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, tied by Lewis Hamilton in 2020, and—at the time of his retirement—held the records for most wins (91), pole positions (68), and podium finishes (155), while he maintains the record for most fastest laps (77), among others.
Born in Hürth to a working-class family, Schumacher started his career in kart racing aged four. He won his first karting title two years later in a kart built from discarded parts. After having enjoyed success in karting—such as winning the direct-drive Karting European Championship in 1987—and in several single-seater series, Schumacher made a one-off Formula One appearance with Jordan at the Template:F1GP. He was signed by Benetton for the rest of the Template:F1 season, winning his first and second drivers' titles consecutively in Template:F1 and Template:F1 with the team. Schumacher moved to the struggling Ferrari team in Template:F1. During his first few years with the team, Schumacher lost out on the title in the final race of the season in Template:F1 and Template:F1, and suffered a broken leg from a brake failure in Template:F1. He and Ferrari won five consecutive titles from Template:F1 to Template:F1, including unprecedented sixth and seventh titles, while breaking several records. After finishing third in Template:F1 and second in Template:F1, Schumacher retired from the sport, although he later made a brief return with Mercedes from Template:F1 to Template:F1.
Schumacher was noted for pushing his car to the very limit for sustained periods during races, a pioneering fitness regimen, and ability to galvanise teams around him. He and his younger brother Ralf are the only siblings to win races in Formula One and the first siblings to finish first and second in the same race, a feat they repeated in four subsequent races. Schumacher was twice involved in collisions in the final race of a season that decided the title: first with Damon Hill at the Template:F1GP, and with Jacques Villeneuve at the Template:F1GP.
Appointed UNESCO Champion for Sport in 2002, Schumacher has been involved in humanitarian projects and has donated tens of millions of dollars to charity.
In December 2013, Schumacher suffered a severe brain injury in a skiing accident. He was placed in a medically induced coma until June 2014. He left the hospital in Grenoble for further rehabilitation at the Lausanne University Hospital, before being relocated to his home to receive medical treatment and rehabilitation privately in September 2014. He has not made a public appearance since.
Early life and career
[edit]Michael Schumacher was born in the West German town of Hürth, North Rhine-Westphalia, on 3 January 1969, to working-class parents Rolf—a bricklayer who later ran the local kart track—and Elisabeth Schumacher (1948–2003), who operated the track's canteen.<ref name="Donaldson 2016">Template:Cite web</ref>
Karting
[edit]When Schumacher was four, his father modified his pedal kart by adding a small motorcycle engine. After he crashed it into a lamp post in Kerpen, his parents took him to the karting track at Kerpen-Horrem, where he became the youngest member of the karting club. His father built him a kart from discarded parts; at the age of six, Schumacher won his first club championship. To support his racing, Schumacher's father took on a second job renting and repairing karts, while his mother worked at the track's canteen. Nevertheless, when Schumacher needed a new engine costing 800 DM, his parents were unable to afford it; he was able to continue racing with support from local businessmen.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Regulations in Germany require a driver to be at least 14 years old to obtain a kart license. To get around this, Schumacher obtained a license in Luxembourg at the age of 12.<ref name="The Beginning 2006">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1983, he obtained his German license, a year after he won the German Junior Kart Championship. Schumacher joined Eurokart dealer Adolf Neubert in 1985, and by 1987 was the German and European kart champion, then he quit school and began working as a mechanic.<ref name="Domenjoz 2002">Template:Cite book</ref>
Lower formulae and sportscar racing
[edit]In 1988, he made his first step into single-seat car racing by participating in the German Formula Ford and Formula König series, winning the latter.<ref name="Domenjoz 2002" /> In 1989, Schumacher signed with Willi Weber's WTS Formula Three team. Funded by Weber, he competed in the German Formula Three Championship, winning the 1990 German Formula Three Championship.<ref name="The Beginning 2006"/> He also won the 1990 Macau Grand Prix under controversial circumstances. He placed second behind Mika Häkkinen in the first heat, three seconds behind. At the start of the second heat, he overtook Häkkinen, who only had to finish within three seconds of Schumacher to clinch the overall win. In the closing laps, Schumacher made a mistake, allowing Häkkinen to attempt to overtake. Schumacher changed his line immediately before Häkkinen did the same as the latter moved to overtake, and Häkkinen crashed into the back of Schumacher's car.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> While Häkkinen's race was ended, Schumacher drove to victory without a rear wing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher gave the prize money from winning the race to his family as they had debts.<ref name="Goren 2001">Template:Cite web</ref>
During 1990, along with his Formula Three rivals Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Karl Wendlinger, Schumacher joined the Mercedes-Benz junior racing programme in the World Sportscar Championship. This was unusual for a young driver, as most of Schumacher's contemporaries competed in Formula 3000 on the way to Formula One. Weber advised Schumacher that being exposed to professional press conferences and driving powerful cars in long-distance races would help his career.<ref name="The Beginning 2006"/> In the 1990 World Sportscar Championship season, Schumacher won the season finale at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in a Sauber–Mercedes C11, and finished fifth in the Drivers' Championship despite only driving in three of the nine races. He continued with the team in the 1991 World Sportscar Championship season, winning again at the final race of the season at Autopolis in Japan with a Sauber–Mercedes-Benz C291, leading to a ninth-place finish in the Drivers' Championship. He also competed at the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing fifth in a car shared with Wendlinger and Fritz Kreutzpointner. He further competed in one race in the 1991 Japanese Formula 3000 Championship, finishing second.<ref name="Domenjoz 2002"/>
During the 1991 430 km of Nürburgring, Schumacher was involved in an incident with Derek Warwick. While trying to set his flying lap in qualifying, Schumacher encountered Warwick's Jaguar XJR-14 on a slow lap resulting in lost time for Schumacher. As retaliation for Warwick being in his way, Schumacher swerved his Sauber into Warwick's car, hitting the Jaguar's nose and front wheel. Enraged by Schumacher's attitude, Warwick drove to the pits and chased Schumacher on foot. He eventually caught up with Schumacher, and it took intervention from several mechanics and Schumacher's teammate Jochen Mass to prevent Warwick physically assaulting Schumacher.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Formula One career
[edit]Jordan (1991)
[edit]
Schumacher made his Formula One debut with the Irish Jordan-Ford team at the Template:F1 GP, driving car number 32 as a replacement for the imprisoned Bertrand Gachot.<ref name="Walfisz 2023">Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher, still a contracted Mercedes driver, was signed by Eddie Jordan after Mercedes paid Jordan $150,000 for his debut.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The week before the race, Schumacher impressed Jordan designer Gary Anderson and team manager Trevor Foster during a test drive at the Silverstone circuit. Schumacher's manager Weber assured Jordan that Schumacher knew the challenging Spa-Francorchamps circuit well, although in fact he had only seen it as a spectator. During the race weekend, teammate Andrea de Cesaris was meant to show Schumacher the circuit but was held up with contract negotiations. Schumacher then learned the track on his own, by cycling around the track on a fold-up bike he brought with him.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In his debut, Schumacher impressed the paddock by qualifying seventh;<ref name="Gibson 2016">Template:Cite news</ref> he did so in a midfield car, the Jordan 191, which he drove half a day of testing and at a track he had never raced at.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This also matched the team's season-best grid position, and Schumacher outqualified veteran de Cesaris. Motor Sport journalist Joe Saward reported that, after qualifying, "clumps of German journalists were talking about 'the best talent since Stefan BellofTemplate:' ".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Schumacher retired on the first lap of the race with clutch problems.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Benetton (1991–1995)
[edit]Following his Belgian Grand Prix debut, despite an agreement in principle between Jordan and Schumacher's Mercedes management that would see the German race for the Irish team for the remainder of the season, Schumacher was engaged by Benetton-Ford for the next race. Jordan applied for an injunction in the British courts to prevent Schumacher driving for Benetton but lost the case as they had not yet signed a final contract.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
1991–1993: Maiden points, podiums and wins
[edit]Schumacher finished the Template:F1 season with four points out of six races. His best finish was fifth in his second race, the Template:F1 GP, in which he finished ahead of his teammate and three-time World Champion Nelson Piquet.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also outqualified Piquet four times out of five in the season run-in, and scored only half a point less than him in the time they were together.<ref name="Gibson 2016"/>
At the start of the Template:F1 season the Sauber team, planning their Formula One debut with Mercedes backing for the following year, invoked a clause in Schumacher's contract that stated that if Mercedes entered Formula One, Schumacher would drive for them. It was eventually agreed that Schumacher would stay with Benetton; Peter Sauber stated that "[Schumacher] didn't want to drive for us. Why would I have forced him?"<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The year was dominated by the Williams FW14B of Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese, featuring powerful Renault engines, semi-automatic gearboxes, and active suspension to control the car's ride height.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In the conventional Benetton B192, Schumacher took his place on the podium for the first time, finishing third in the Template:F1 GP. Through what has been described as a tactical masterstroke,<ref name="Gibson 2016" /> he went on to take his first victory at the Template:F1 GP, in a wet race at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, which by 2003 he would call "far and away my favourite track".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> That also marked as the last Formula One car to win a Grand Prix while sporting a H-pattern manual gearbox.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
From the 1992 Portuguese Grand Prix to the 1998 Monaco Grand Prix, Schumacher was not beaten by his teammate when both cars finished. 1992 was also the first of many times that Schumacher beat his teammate through a full season, and Martin Brundle was fired as a result. Benetton team boss Flavio Briatore later regretted this decision, saying that he had underestimated the ability of both his drivers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher finished third in the Drivers' Championship in 1992 with 53 points, three points behind runner-up Patrese and three in front of the Brazilian Ayrton Senna.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to Jo Ramírez, a close friend of Senna, the Brazilian considered Schumacher "the next big threat, way ahead of all the other drivers around at the time".<ref name="Howell 2003">Template:Cite web</ref>
The Williams FW15C of Damon Hill and Alain Prost dominated the Template:F1 season as well. Benetton introduced their own active suspension and traction control early in the season, last of the frontrunning teams to do so.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher won one race, the Template:F1 GP where he beat Prost,<ref name="Beer 2020">Template:Cite web</ref> and had nine podium finishes; he retired in seven of the other 16 races. He finished the season in fourth, with 52 points,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> beating Patrese as teammate, so much so that Briatore and his team thought that Patrese was washed up and that they had no problem with their car.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1994–1995: Back-to-back World Championships
[edit]
Schumacher won his first Drivers' Championship in Template:F1. Driving the Benetton B194, which has been called the worst car to have won a Formula One World Championship and was difficult to drive,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> so much so that Schumacher had three different teammates (JJ Lehto, Jos Verstappen, and Johnny Herbert) due to crashes, Schumacher won the first four races and finished the season with eight wins.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He won six of the first seven races, including the Template:F1 GP in which he lapped the entire field,<ref name="Foster 2024"/> and was leading the Template:F1 GP, before a gearbox failure left him stuck in fifth gear for most of the race.<ref name="Gibson 2016"/> Schumacher made two pit stops without stalling and finished the race in second place. Benetton boss Flavio Briatore stated that Schumacher's drive was one of the best he had ever seen.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The 1994 season was marred by the death of Ayrton Senna, which was witnessed by Schumacher who was directly behind Senna, and that of Roland Ratzenberger during the Template:F1 GP; there were also allegations of cheating during the 1994 Formula One season involving several teams, most particularly Schumacher's Benetton, having allegedly broken the sport's technical regulations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Following the San Marino Grand Prix, the Benetton, Ferrari, and McLaren teams were investigated on suspicion of breaking the FIA-imposed ban on electronic aids. Benetton and McLaren initially refused to hand over their source code for investigation. When they did so, the FIA discovered hidden functionality in both teams' software but no evidence that it had been used in a race. Both teams were fined $100,000 for their initial refusal to cooperate. The McLaren software, which was a gearbox program that allowed automatic shifts, was deemed legal. By contrast, the Benetton software was deemed to be a form of launch control that would have allowed Schumacher to make perfect starts, which was explicitly outlawed by the regulations; Benetton and Willem Toet, a Formula One aerodynamicist for over thirty years who worked at Benetton until 1994, stated that traction control was legally achieved through rotational inertia. There was no evidence to suggest the software was used.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
At the Template:F1 GP, Schumacher was penalised for overtaking Hill on the formation lap. He and Benetton then ignored the penalty and the subsequent black flag, which indicates that the driver must immediately return to the pits, for which he was disqualified and later given a two-race ban. Benetton blamed the incident on a communication error between the stewards and the team.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Schumacher was also disqualified after winning the Template:F1 GP, after his car was found to have illegal wear on its skid block, a measure used after the accidents at Imola to limit downforce and hence cornering speed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Benetton protested that the skid block had been damaged when Schumacher spun over a kerb; the FIA rejected their appeal because of the pattern of wear and damage visible on the block.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The two-race ban punishment was seen by many observers as petty and insignificant, and that it was a result of Benetton feud with the FIA, with Schumacher being a victim and the FIA trying to deny him his first World Championship.<ref name="Sports Illustrated 1995">Template:Cite web</ref> These incidents helped Damon Hill close the points gap, and Schumacher led by a single point going into the final race at the Template:F1 GP. On lap 36, Schumacher hit the guardrail on the outside of the track while leading. Hill attempted to pass but as Schumacher's car returned to the track there was a collision on the corner causing them both to retire.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As a result, Schumacher won the Drivers' Championship,<ref name="Benson 2006">Template:Cite news</ref> the first German to do so—Jochen Rindt (the only posthumous Drivers' Champion) was German but raced under the Austrian flag, and whose domination in Template:F1 was later equalled by Schumacher.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The race stewards judged it as a racing accident and took no action against either driver. Although the Drivers' Championship had been decided in a similar manner in 1989 and 1990,<ref name="Walfisz 2023"/> public opinion was divided over the incident,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Schumacher was vilified in the British media.<ref name="GrandPrix.com 1997">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Molinaro 2006">Template:Cite news</ref> At the FIA conference after the race, Schumacher dedicated his title to Senna.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Template:F1, Schumacher successfully defended his title with Benetton, which now had the same Renault engine as Williams; according to Motor Sport magazine, Benetton had the better team, while Williams had the superior car.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher accumulated 33 more points than second-placed Hill. With Herbert as teammate, he took Benetton to its first Constructors' Championship, breaking the dominance of McLaren and Williams, and became the youngest two-time World Champion in Formula One history.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The season was marred by several collisions with Hill, in particular an overtaking manoeuvre by Hill took them both out of the Template:F1 GP on lap 45, and again on lap 23 of the Template:F1 GP; it also saw one of his career's best overtakes, with the one over Jean Alesi giving him the win at the Template:F1 GP,<ref name="Foster 2024"/> after he reduced the half a minute gap in the final dozen laps.<ref name="Gibson 2016"/> Schumacher won 9 of the 17 races, including the Template:F1 GP,<ref name="Sports Illustrated 1995"/> and finished on the podium 11 times. It was only once that he qualify worse than fourth; at the Template:F1 GP, he qualified 16th but nevertheless went on to win the wet-dry race,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> finishing 16 seconds ahead of Hill,<ref name="Foster 2024"/> with whom he had ferocious wheel-to-wheel racing and involved some crucial strategic calls.<ref name="Gibson 2016"/> His bad qualifying was a result of a crash he had in the final free practice, and by the time his car was rebuilt, it had started to rain; this ended his 56-race streak of outqualifiyng his teammates that started in 1992, after he missed a gear in qualifying in Adelaide in 1991 and was outqualified by Nelson Piquet.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ferrari (1996–2006)
[edit]In Template:F1, Schumacher joined Ferrari, a team that had last won the Drivers' Championship in Template:F1 and the Constructors' Championship in Template:F1, for a salary of $60 million over two years. He left Benetton a year before his contract with them expired; he later cited the team's damaging actions in 1994 as his reason for opting out of his deal.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 1997, Schumacher lured Benetton employees Rory Byrne (designer) and Ross Brawn (technical director) to Ferrari.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ferrari had previously come close to the championship in Template:F1 and Template:F1. The team had suffered a disastrous downturn in the early 1990s, partially as its famous V12 engine was no longer competitive against the smaller, lighter, and more fuel-efficient V10s of its competitors. Various drivers, notably Alain Prost, had given the vehicles disparaging labels, such as "truck", "pig", and "accident waiting to happen".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Furthermore, the poor performance of the Ferrari pit crews was considered a running joke.<ref name="Sapa 2006">Template:Cite web</ref> At the end of 1995, although the team had improved into a solid competitor, it was still considered inferior to front-running teams like Benetton and Williams.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Schumacher declared the Ferrari F310 good enough to win a championship,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> although afterwards his teammate Eddie Irvine labelled the F310 "an awful car", a "piece of junk", and "almost undriveable", while designer John Barnard admitted that the car "wasn't very good".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Irvine also later commented: "The '96 [Ferrari] car was a disaster and was nearly undriveable. Only someone of Michael Schumacher's ability − and maybe Senna – could have driven it."<ref name="Gibson 2016"/>
During winter testing, Schumacher first drove a Ferrari, their 1995 Ferrari 412 T2, and was two seconds faster than former regulars Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger had been.<ref name="Benson 2016">Template:Cite news</ref> Alesi and Berger were allowed to drive Schumacher's Benetton B195 with which he won the World Championship in 1995, and they could not believe how Schumacher had won with it, calling it "the ugly ducking" for being so ugly to drive and having many crashes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In a 1999 interview with his 1994 and 1995 World Championship rival Damon Hill, Schumacher recalled: "You remember when I left Benetton, and [Jean] Alesi and [Gerhard] Berger took their first steps in that Benetton? You remember how many crashes they had? ... I mean, that car was really unbelievable. Really difficult to drive. It was so edgy. But it was fast when you just drove it exactly on that edge. Now, though, there have been a lot of aerodynamic improvements to the cars and so the cars I have driven have been a lot more stable. And that applies to most of the cars today."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
1996–1999: World Championship challenges and injury
[edit]Template:Quote box In 1996, Schumacher finished third in the Drivers' Championship and helped Ferrari to second place in the Constructors' Championship ahead of his old team Benetton. During the season, the car had reliability problems; Schumacher did not finish in 7 of the 16 races. At the Template:F1 GP, Schumacher took pole position but suffered engine failure on the formation lap.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He won three races, more than the team's total tally for the period from 1991 to 1995, despite a poor chassis.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He took his first win for Ferrari at the Template:F1 GP, where he lapped the entire field up to third place in the wet.<ref name="The Beginning 2006"/> After a bad start, which saw him dropping from third to sixth place,<ref name="Gibson 2016"/> before taking the lead on lap 19, he consistently lapped five seconds faster than the rest of the field in the difficult conditions.<ref name="Benson 2016"/> At the Template:F1 GP, he used well-timed pit stops to fend off Williams' Jacques Villeneuve.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also took first place at the Template:F1 GP to win in front of the tifosi (Ferrari fans).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Schumacher and Villeneuve competed for the title in Template:F1, despite never sharing a podium and almost never battling directly on the track,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in what has been described as the sport's most dramatic and controversial season finale.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Villeneuve, driving the superior Williams FW19, led the championship in the early part of the season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher’s first win of the season came at the wet Template:F1 GP, in which he took a six-second lead after one lap.<ref name="Gibson 2016"/> By mid-season, despite possibly driving not even the second-fastest car on the grid,<ref name="Williams-Smith 2020">Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher had taken the championship lead, winning five races, and entered the season's finale (the Template:F1 GP at the Jerez circuit) with a one-point advantage.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In qualifying, Schumacher set the same fastest lap as Villeneuve and Heinz-Harald Frentzen. He started in second position as Villeneuve set his fastest lap first but was able to jump him at the start.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Towards the end of the race, Schumacher's Ferrari developed a coolant leak and loss of performance indicating he might not finish the race.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As Villeneuve approached to pass his rival on lap 48, Schumacher turned in on him but retired from the race. Villeneuve went on and scored four points to take the championship. Despite public outcry, the race stewards did not initially award any penalty, as they had deemed it a racing incident;<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> two weeks after the race, in an unprecedented move,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher was disqualified from the entire 1997 Drivers' Championship after an FIA disciplinary hearing found that his "manoeuvre was an instinctive reaction and although deliberate not made with malice or premeditation, it was a serious error."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="FIA 1997">Template:Cite news</ref> Initially feeling wronged, Schumacher accepted the decision and admitted having made a mistake,<ref name="GrandPrix.com 1997"/> upon seeing the footage when he got out of the car and adrenaline had worn off.<ref name="Williams-Smith 2020"/> His actions were widely condemned in British, German, and Italian newspapers.<ref name="GrandPrix.com 1997"/><ref name="Molinaro 2006"/> Another view is that Villeneuve went into the corner too fast; without Schumacher turning into him, he would have overshot the turn and ended up in the gravel.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In later years, Villeneuve himself admitted that he "would never have made that corner without [Schumacher's] push", and Schumacher stated in 2009 that if he could have his career over again, he would "do some things differently", citing Jerez 1997 as something that he would have changed in his career.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Template:F1, Finnish driver Mika Häkkinen became Schumacher's main title rival. Driving the superior McLaren MP4/13, Häkkinen won the first two races of the season, gaining a 16-point advantage over Schumacher, who then won the Template:F1 GP. With the Ferrari improving significantly in the second half of the season, Schumacher took six victories and had five other podium finishes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> One of his victories was at the Template:F1 GP, a track where overtaking is difficult and that favoured McLaren;<ref name="Gibson 2016"/> Schumacher drove 19 consecutive qualifying-like laps to make Ross Brawn's alternative three-stop strategy work and to go from third to first place.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Brawn had told him: "Michael, you have 19 laps to pull out 25 seconds. We need 19 qualifying laps from you."<ref name="Foster 2024"/> Schumacher ultimately came nine seconds ahead of David Coulthard.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Häkkinen, who started on pole, achieved only a point due to reliability issues.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ferrari took a 1–2 finish at the Template:F1 GP, the first Ferrari 1–2 finish since 1990,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and at the Template:F1 GP,<ref name="Gibson 2016"/> which tied Schumacher with Häkkinen for the lead of the Drivers' Championship with 80 points.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
There were two controversies during the 1998 season. At the Template:F1 GP, Schumacher was leading on the last lap when he turned into the pit lane, crossed the start-finish line, and stopped to serve his ten-second stop-go penalty, which was a result of overtaking the lapped car of Alexander Wurz during a safety car period. There was some doubt whether this counted as serving the penalty; because he had crossed the finish line when he came into the pit lane,<ref name="Gibson 2016"/> the win was valid.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The FIA rescinded the penalty due to taking 31 minutes, rather than within the 25 minutes limit, and rejected McLaren's protest.<ref name="Foster 2024"/> At the Template:F1 GP, Schumacher was leading the race by 40 seconds in heavy spray but collided with Coulthard's McLaren when the Scot, a lap down, slowed on the racing line in poor visibility to let Schumacher past. His Ferrari lost a wheel but could return to the pits, although he was forced to retire. Schumacher leaped out of his car and headed to McLaren's garage in an infuriated manner and accused Coulthard of "trying to kill" him. Coulthard admitted five years later that the accident had been his mistake.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> From a possible three-point lead, Schumacher was still seven points behind Häkkinen. Heading into the final race, the Template:F1 GP, Häkkinen held a four-point advantage over Schumacher, who started on pole but stalled and caused the start to be aborted, which meant he had to start from the back of the field. He made a comeback up to third but retired after hitting debris from an accident.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Häkkinen won the Drivers' Championship by winning the final two races despite Schumacher being the polesitter both times,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> continuing Ferrari's longest World Championship drought.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Template:F1, Schumacher's efforts helped Ferrari win the Constructors' Championship, the team's first title since 1983. He lost his chance to win the Drivers' Championship at the Template:F1 GP at the high-speed Stowe Corner; his car's rear brake failed, sending him off the track into the barriers and resulting in a broken leg.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During his 98-day absence, he was replaced by Finnish driver Mika Salo. About his return, Schumacher's teammate Eddie Irvine recalled: "It was amazing. I remember me and Mika Salo were testing at Mugello, which is one of the hardest circuits in the world – and he [Schumacher] hadn't driven for eight months. He got in the car and within a lap he was a tenth or two tenths slower than I was. How do you do that? And then of course a couple of laps later he's half a second quicker and – it's just impossible. It's really really annoying, but it was an honour to be able to see his telemetry and see the things he could do with a car."<ref name="Gibson 2016"/> After missing six races, he made his return at the inaugural Template:F1 GP, qualifying in pole position with his career's greatest pole margin, with his time faster than Eddie Irvine by almost a second.<ref name="Gibson 2016"/> He then assumed the role of second driver, helping Irvine to victory and assisting his teammate's bid to win the Drivers' Championship for Ferrari,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with Irvine leading the championship by one point.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> About Schumacher's role, Irvine stated: "He is not only the best driver in the world, he is also the best number two in the world."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the last race of the season, the Template:F1 GP, Häkkinen won his second consecutive title after he beat him off the line. Schumacher later said that Häkkinen was "the best opponent I've had" and the one he respected the most.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2000–2004: Five consecutive World Championships
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In Template:F1, Schumacher won his third Drivers' Championship, his first with Ferrari, after a year-long battle with Häkkinen. Schumacher won the first three races of the season and five of the first eight. Midway through the year, Schumacher's chances suffered with three consecutive non-finishes, allowing Häkkinen to close the gap in the standings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the Template:F1 GP qualifying session, which was largely decided in the opening 10 minutes of semi-dry weather, Schumacher was able to improve his time in the final seconds and qualified second. In the race, he retired after crashing out at the start, as his new teammate Rubens Barrichello took his maiden win from 18th.<ref name="Gibson 2016"/> Häkkinen then took another two victories, before Schumacher won at the Template:F1 GP, his 41st career win.<ref name="Gibson 2016"/> At the post-race press conference, after equalling the number of wins won by his idol Ayrton Senna, Schumacher broke into tears.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The championship fight came down to the penultimate race of the season, the Template:F1 GP. Starting from pole position, Schumacher lost the lead to Häkkinen at the start.<ref name="Gibson 2016"/> After his second pit stop, Schumacher came out ahead of Häkkinen and went on to win the race and the Drivers' Championship;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> he later described it as the fight of his life.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Although Schumacher won more than twice as many Grands Prix as Häkkinen, BBC Sport journalist Andrew Benson stated that "the challenge from Mika Hakkinen and McLaren-Mercedes was far stronger than the raw statistics suggest" and that the Adrian Newey-designed McLaren was "the fastest car in F1 for the third straight year". Benson also hailed Schumacher as "unquestionably the greatest driver of his era".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Template:F1, Schumacher took his fourth Drivers' title. Four other drivers won races but none sustained a season-long challenge for the championship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher scored a record-tying nine wins and clinched the World Championship with four races yet to run. He finished the championship with 123 points, 58 ahead of runner-up Coulthard. Season highlights included the Template:F1 GP, where he won after Häkkinen retired on the last lap due to his car's engine blowing up leading Schumacher to say he was sorry for him and that they had been "bloody lucky";<ref name="Gibson 2016"/> Template:F1 GP, where Schumacher finished second to his brother Ralf, thus scoring the first-ever 1–2 finish by brothers in Formula One;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Template:F1 GP, in which Schumacher scored his 52nd career win, breaking Alain Prost's record for most career wins that had stood since 1993.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Template:F1, Schumacher retained his Drivers' Championship. In winning the Drivers' Championship, he equalled the record set by Juan Manuel Fangio of five World Championships. Ferrari won 15 out of 17 races, and Schumacher won the title with six races remaining in the season, which is still the earliest point in the season for a driver to be crowned World Champion.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Schumacher broke his own record, shared with Nigel Mansell, of nine race wins in a season, by winning 11 times and finishing every race on the podium. He finished with 144 points, a record-breaking 67 points ahead of the runner-up, his teammate Barrichello. This pair finished nine of the 17 races in the first two places.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
During the 2002 season, there was some controversy at the Template:F1 GP,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> where Barrichello was leading but in the final metres of the race, under team orders, slowed down to allow Schumacher to win the race.<ref name="BBC Sport 2002">Template:Cite news</ref> Although the switching of positions did not break any actual sporting or technical regulation,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as Ferrari did the same at the Template:F1 GP the previous year where Schumacher finished second and Barrichello third,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> it angered fans and it was claimed that the team's actions showed a lack of sportsmanship and respect to the spectators. Many argued that Schumacher did not need to be given wins in only the sixth race of the season, which he would have won anyway, a view also shared by Jean Todt and Ross Brawn in retrospect,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> particularly given that he had already won four of the previous five Grands Prix, and that Barrichello had dominated the race weekend up to that point. At the podium ceremony, Schumacher pushed Barrichello onto the top step,<ref name="BBC Sport 2002"/> and the Ferrari team incurred a $1 million fine for this disturbance.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Schumacher vowed to pay back Barrichello, and later that same year returned the favour in several races to help him finish second in the standings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the Template:F1 GP, Schumacher returned the favour,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> by giving Barrichello the win by 0.011 seconds,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the second-closest margin on the finishing line in Formula One history in a failed dead heat finish.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In an unplanned finish,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Schumacher's explanation varied between it being him "returning the favour" for Austria, or trying to engineer a formation finish—a feat derided as near-impossible in a sport where timings are taken to within a thousandth of a second.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After the end of the season, the FIA banned "team orders which interfere with the race result";<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> the ban was lifted for the 2011 season because the ruling was difficult to enforce.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Schumacher broke Fangio's 46-year record of five Drivers' Championships by winning the drivers' title for the sixth time in Template:F1, after a closely contested battle with his main rivals, which was also a result of lobbying regarding the Michelin tyres.<ref name="Gibson 2016"/> Before the season started, the FIA introduced new regulations and a new points system to make the championship more open.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The biggest competition came from the McLaren-Mercedes and Williams-BMW teams. In the first race, Schumacher was run off track, and he was involved in collisions in the following two.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He fell 16 points behind McLaren's Kimi Räikkönen.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Despite the death of his mother Elisabeth just hours before the race,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher won the Template:F1 GP despite losing the first position going into turn one.<ref name="Gibson 2016"/> He also won the next two races and closed within two points of Räikkönen. Aside from Schumacher's victory at the Template:F1 GP and Barrichello's victory at the Template:F1 GP, the mid-season was dominated by Williams drivers Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya, who each claimed two victories. After the Template:F1 GP, Schumacher led Montoya and Räikkönen by only one and two points, respectively. Ahead of the next race, the FIA announced changes to the way tyre widths were to be measured: this forced Michelin, supplier to Williams and McLaren among others, to rapidly redesign their tyres before the Template:F1 GP.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Schumacher, running on Bridgestone tyres, won the next two races. After Montoya was penalised in the Template:F1 GP, only Schumacher and Räikkönen remained in contention for the title. At the final round, the Template:F1 GP, Schumacher needed only one point whilst Räikkönen needed to win. By finishing the race in eighth place, Schumacher took one point and assured his sixth Drivers' title, ending the season two points ahead of Räikkönen.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In Template:F1, Schumacher won a record 12 of the first 13 races of the season,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> including the inaugural Template:F1 GP and the Template:F1 GP,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> only failing to finish in Monaco after an accident with Montoya during a safety car period.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In August 2004, Schumacher's win at the Template:F1 GP contributed to Ferrari's sixth consecutive Constructors' Championship, and he later clinched a seventh Drivers' Championship at the Template:F1 GP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Earlier in July at the Template:F1 GP, Schumacher beat polesitter Fernando Alonso with a four-stop strategy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He finished the season with a record 148 points, 34 points ahead of the runner-up Barrichello, and set a new record of 13 race wins out of a possible 18, surpassing his previous best of 11 wins from the 2002 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Between 2000 and 2004, Schumacher achieved five Drivers' Championships, 48 wins, and almost all Formula One records.<ref name="Jeffries 2023">Template:Cite web</ref> With his fifth Drivers' Championship in a row, he also broke Fangio's record of consecutive titles that had stood for nearly fifty years.<ref name="Bitannica 2024">Template:Cite web</ref>
2005–2006: Regulation changes and first retirement
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Rule changes for the Template:F1 season required tyres to last an entire race,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> tipping the overall advantage to teams using Michelins over teams like Ferrari that relied on Bridgestone tyres.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The rule changes were partly in an effort to dent Ferrari's dominance and make the series more interesting.<ref name="Sapa 2006"/> The most notable moment of the early season for Schumacher was his battle with Renault R25 driver Fernando Alonso at the Template:F1 GP, where he started 13th and finished only 0.2 seconds behind Alonso.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Less than halfway through the season, Schumacher stated: "I don't think I can count myself in this battle any more. It was like trying to fight with a blunted weapon. If your weapons are weak you don't have a chance."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Schumacher's sole win in 2005 came at the Template:F1 GP in a 1–2 finish with Rubens Barrichello.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Before that race, the Michelin tyres were found to have significant safety issues. When no compromise between the teams and the FIA could be reached, all but the three teams using Bridgestone tyres dropped out of the race after the formation lap, leaving only six drivers on the grid.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher retired in 6 of the 19 races, and finished the season in third with 62 points, fewer than half the points of World Champion Alonso.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:F1 became the last season of Schumacher's Ferrari career. After three races, Schumacher had just 11 points and was already 17 points behind Alonso.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He won the following two races; his pole position at Template:F1 GP was his 66th, breaking Ayrton Senna's 12-year-old record,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which was described as perhaps the greatest record that stood in the sport,<ref name="Gibson 2016"/> and was a reversal of the 2005 race.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher was stripped of pole position at the Template:F1 GP and started the race at the back of the grid, as he stopped his car and blocked part of the circuit while Alonso was on his qualifying lap;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> he still managed to work his way up to fifth place on the notoriously cramped Monaco circuit.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Before the Template:F1 GP, the fourteenth race of the season, the FIA banned Renault's mass damper, with the superior Renault R26 suddenly no longer as competitive.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By the Template:F1 GP, the ninth race of the season, Schumacher was 25 points behind Alonso;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> he then won the following three races, including at Hockenheim, to reduce his disadvantage to 11,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and to 10 by Turkey.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Since Canada, Ferrari won six out of seven races, including at Monza, with Schumacher winning in five of them.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After further victories at the Template:F1 GP, where he announced his retirement at the end of the season, and at the Template:F1 GP, in what would be his 91th and final career win,<ref name="Gibson 2016"/> Schumacher led in the championship standings for the first time during the season.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After his win in Italy, Ferrari issued a press release stating that Schumacher would retire from racing at the end of the 2006 season but would continue working for the team.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> The tifosi and the Italian press, who did not always take to Schumacher's relatively cold public persona, displayed an affectionate response after he announced his retirement.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
After qualifying second, Schumacher led the Template:F1 GP in what could have seen him heading into the season finale with two points ahead of Alonso. With only 16 laps to go, his car suffered an engine failure for the first time since the Template:F1 GP, ending a 58-race sequence without a mechanical retirement,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> handing Alonso the victory.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also conceded the title;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> to win the Drivers' Championship, Schumacher would have had to win the final race and Alonso had to fail to score any point, and he did not wish to win the title like that.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During the pre-race ceremonies of the season's last race, the Template:F1 GP, former football player Pelé presented a trophy to Schumacher for his achievements in Formula One.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A fuel pressure problem prevented Schumacher from completing a single lap during the third qualifying session, forcing him to start the race in tenth position.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Early in the race, Schumacher moved up to sixth place but suffered a puncture caused by the front wing of Giancarlo Fisichella's Renault.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher fell to 19th place, 70 seconds behind teammate and race leader Felipe Massa. Schumacher recovered and overtook both Fisichella and Räikkönen, his successor at Ferrari following his retirement,<ref name="Gibson 2016"/> to secure fourth place. His performance was praised, as he had the pace to win the race by a lap,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and was variously classified in the press as "heroic",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> an "utterly breath-taking drive",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and a "performance that ... sums up his career".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
During the following weeks, Schumacher, Brawn, Byrne, and Todt were credited for turning the struggling Ferrari team into the most successful team in Formula One history,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with Schumacher scoring 72 Grand Prix wins at Ferrari and winning five consecutive Drivers' titles.<ref name="Autosport 2009" /> Three-time World Champion Jackie Stewart believed the transformation of the Ferrari team was Schumacher's greatest feat.<ref name=BBCOct2006>Template:Cite news</ref> During his time at the team, Schumacher became the byword for Formula One and motorsports in general.<ref name="Walfisz 2023" /> At the end of 2006, Schumacher's 91 wins were 40 more than Alain Prost, who was his nearest rival.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher held at least thirty-one records, including for most championship titles (7), consecutive titles (5), race victories (91), consecutive wins 7 (2004), wins with one team (72, Ferrari), wins at same Grand Prix (8, France), wins at different Grands Prix (20), time between first and last wins (14 years, 1 month, and 2 days), second places (43), podiums (154), consecutive podium finishes (19, 2001–2002), points finishes (190), laps leading (4.741, or 22,155 km), pole positions (68), front row starts (115), fastest laps (76), doubles (pole and win, 40), hat-tricks (pole, fastest lap, and win, 22), championship points (1,369), consecutive race finishes (24, 2001–2003), consecutive points finishes (24),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> points in a season for the runner-up (121 out of 180, 2006), wins in a season for the runner-up (7, 2006), races for same car and engine builder (180, Ferrari), wins at Indianapolis (5), wins at Monza (5), wins in a season (13, 2004), fastest laps in a season (10, 2004), points scored in a season (148, 2004), podium finishes in a season (17, 2002), championship won with most races left (6, 2002), and consecutive years with a win (15).<ref name="Historic Racing 2007">Template:Cite web</ref>
2007–2009: New roles at Ferrari, motorcycle racing and injury
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During the Template:F1 season, Schumacher acted as Ferrari's adviser and Jean Todt's super assistant.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Schumacher also helped Ferrari with their development programme at the Jerez circuit. He focused on testing electronics and tyres for the Template:F1 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During 2008, Schumacher also competed in motorcycle racing in the IDM Superbike series. At a Superbike cup race at the Pannónia-Ring, Schumacher finished third out of twenty-seven—behind professional motorcycle racers Martin Bauer and Andreas Meklau—riding a Honda CBR1000RR.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
At the Template:F1 GP on 25 July 2009, Ferrari's Felipe Massa was seriously injured after being struck by a suspension spring during qualifying. Ferrari announced that they planned to draft in Schumacher for the Template:F1 GP and subsequent Grands Prix until Massa was able to race again.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher tested a modified Ferrari F2007 to prepare himself as he had been unable to test the Ferrari F60 due to testing restrictions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ferrari appealed for special permission for Schumacher to test in a Template:F1 season spec car; Williams, Red Bull, and Toro Rosso were against this test.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the end, Schumacher was forced to call off his return due to the severity of the neck injury he had received in a motorcycle accident earlier in the year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Instead, Massa's place was first filled by Luca Badoer and later on by Fisichella.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher described this aborted return to Formula One as his "toughest moment".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Mercedes (2010–2012)
[edit]Template:Quote box In December 2009, Schumacher announced his return to Formula One for the Template:F1 season alongside fellow German driver and 24-year-old Nico Rosberg in the new Mercedes GP team.<ref name="BBC Sport 2009">Template:Cite news</ref> The Template:F1 season had ended with Brawn GP (taking over from Honda) winning both titles,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> after winning six of the first seven races.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> For the 2010 season, Mercedes returned to the sport as a constructor for the first time since 1955, and Schumacher rejoined team principal Ross Brawn, who was behind all of his seven World Championships.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher stated that his preparations to replace the injured Massa had initiated a renewed interest in Formula One, which, combined with the opportunity to fulfil a long-held ambition to drive for Mercedes and to be working again with team principal Ross Brawn, led Schumacher to accept the offer once he was passed fit.<ref name="BBC Sport 2009"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Speaking to the BBC, Schumacher said: "I want to have fun out there and I feel as fresh as ever. I've recharged myself after a three-year break. The challenge is what I look for – I want to know it."<ref name="Gibson 2016" />
Schumacher signed a three-year contract, reportedly worth £20 million.<ref name="BBC Sport 2009"/> Schumacher's comeback was the most high profile in Formula One since Niki Lauda came out of a two-year retirement for the Template:F1 season to race for McLaren and went on to win a third world title in Template:F1. He turned 41 in 2010, the same age Nigel Mansell won the 1994 Australian Grand Prix after having stepped in as a substitute following the death of Ayrton Senna,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and his prospects with Mercedes were compared with Nigel Mansell, who had won a title at 39 and last competed aged 41; Damon Hill, who competed his final season at 39;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Juan Manuel Fangio, Formula One's oldest champion who was 46 when he won his fifth title.<ref name="BBC Sport 2009"/>
2010: Return from retirement
[edit]After having impressed in the free practices, Schumacher finished sixth in the first race of the season at the Template:F1 GP,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1,239 days after his previous Formula One race.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He finished behind teammate Nico Rosberg in each of the first four qualifying sessions and races; former driver Stirling Moss suggested that Schumacher might be "past it".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Several other former Formula One drivers thought otherwise, including former rival Damon Hill, who warned "you should never write Schumacher off".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> GrandPrix.com identified the inherent understeer of the Mercedes car, exacerbated by the narrower front tyres introduced for the 2010 season, as contributing to Schumacher's difficulties.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Jenson Button would later claim that Mercedes's car was designed for him, as he would initially drive for the team, and that their differing driving styles may have contributed to Schumacher's difficulties.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Mercedes upgraded their car for the Template:F1 GP where Schumacher finished fourth.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the Template:F1 GP, Schumacher finished sixth after passing Ferrari's Fernando Alonso on the final corner before the finish line when the safety car returned to the pits. Mercedes held that "the combination of the race control messages 'Safety Car in this lap' and 'Track Clear' and the green flags and lights shown by the marshals after safety car line one indicated that the race was not finishing under the safety car and all drivers were free to race."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> An FIA investigation found Schumacher guilty of breaching safety car regulations and awarded him a 20-seconds penalty, dropping him to 12th.<ref>Michael Schumacher penalised for late-race pass Template:Webarchive BBC Sport – F1</ref> In doing so, the FIA sought to clarify the regulations post-race, as the new and old rules appeared to be in conflict.<ref name="Gibson 2016"/>
At the Template:F1 GP, Schumacher qualified fifth and finished fourth in the race, both his best results since his return.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Hill 2010">Template:Cite web</ref> At the Template:F1 GP in Valencia, Schumacher finished 15th, the lowest recorded finish in his career.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At the Template:F1 GP, Rubens Barrichello attempted to pass Schumacher down the inside on the main straight. Schumacher closed the inside line to force Barrichello onto the outside; Barrichello persisted on the inside at Template:Convert despite the close proximity of a concrete wall and Schumacher leaving him only inches to spare.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher, who finished 12th,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was found guilty of dangerous driving and was demoted ten places on the grid for the following race, the Template:F1 GP,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> where he finished seventh despite starting 21st after his grid penalty.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the Template:F1 GP, Schumacher was involved in a major accident on the first lap, after Vitantonio Liuzzi's car collided with Schumacher's, barely missing his head.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Schumacher finished the season in ninth place with 72 points.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For the first time since 1991, Schumacher finished a year without a win, pole position, podium, or fastest lap.<ref name="Hill 2010"/>
2011–2012: Final podium and second retirement
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After starting the Template:F1 season with a retirement,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher's first points were scored at the Template:F1 GP where he finished ninth;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher later came sixth in Spain,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and he took fourth place at the Template:F1 GP,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> after running as high as second in a wet race;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> his Canadian race was seen at the time as his most convincing performance since he came out of retirement.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Despite starting last at the Template:F1 GP,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> twenty years after his debut,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher finished fifth.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Template:F1 GP saw Schumacher lead three laps during the race, marking the first time he had led a race since 2006.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In doing so, he became the oldest driver to lead a race since Jack Brabham in 1970.<ref name=ABCgreatest>Template:Cite news</ref> Schumacher finished the season in eighth place in the Drivers' Championship, with 76 points.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Schumacher was again partnered by Nico Rosberg at Mercedes for the Template:F1 season.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After qualifying fourth in what was his best qualifying since his return,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> he retired from the season's inaugural Template:F1 GP,<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> and scored a point in the second round at the Template:F1 GP with intermittent rain,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> after qualifying third.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At the Template:F1 GP, Schumacher started on the front row but retired due to a loose wheel after a mechanic's error during a pit stop.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After causing a collision with Bruno Senna at the Template:F1 GP,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher received a five-place grid penalty for the Template:F1 GP.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Twenty-one years into his career,<ref name="Gibson 2016" /> Schumacher was fastest in qualifying in Monaco but started sixth owing to his penalty.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He later retired from seventh place in the race.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At the Template:F1 GP, Schumacher finished third, his only podium finish since his return to Formula One.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At 43 years and 173 days, he became the oldest driver to achieve a podium since 1970, when Jack Brabham achieved second-place finish at the Template:F1 GP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the Template:F1 GP, Schumacher set the fastest lap for the 77th time in his career.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At the Template:F1 GP, Schumacher became the second driver in history (after Rubens Barrichello) to race in 300 Grands Prix;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> he took seventh place after starting 13th.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Schumacher's indecision over his future plans led to him being replaced by Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for the Template:F1 season.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In October 2012, days before the Template:F1 GP, Schumacher announced he would retire for a second time,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> stating: "There were times in the past few months in which I didn't want to deal with Formula One or prepare for the next Grand Prix."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In what would be his 308th and last entry and 306th race start, Schumacher concluded the season with a seventh-place finish at the Template:F1 GP, which was also the position he started his first Formula One race.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During the race, he symbolically pulled over for fellow German Sebastian Vettel en route to his then third Drivers' Championship.<ref name="RaceFans 2006">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher finished 13th in the 2012 Drivers' Championship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During his comeback, he led three laps but never won a race and never finished higher than eighth in the overall Formula One standings.<ref name="Bitannica 2024" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He closed his career with 91 wins, 155 podiums, and 68 pole positions, which at the time were all records.<ref name="Jeffries 2023" /> Before it was surpassed by Hamilton in 2020, Schumacher's 91 wins were one short of the combined win totals of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Despite a difficult three years, which included adaptation to significant different regulations and new Pirelli tyres, as well as rust, and being bested by his teammate, he had improved in the last two years where he arguably outraced Rosberg but bad luck and mechanical failures did not reflect it at the standings.<ref name="Gibson 2016" /> It has been argued that it was his 2009 motorcycle accident why the comeback had not been successful. In the words of Mark Hughes, "I believe his motorcycle accident, and the damaged neurons from a neck injury that in 90 per cent of cases is fatal, was probably more responsible for his lack of form second time around than age or length of absence."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
From 2014 to Template:F1, Mercedes went on to win a record-breaking (of Schumacher's Ferrari from 1999 to 2004) eight Constructors' Championships under Hamilton, Rosberg, and Valtteri Bottas. Ross Brawn said that "Michael's contribution to our development and the future of our team has been significant", and observed: "In my opinion, he is the greatest Formula One driver, and the records which he holds in our sport speak volumes for his success and commitment."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Brawn also stated that had Schumacher not retired in 2012 and not suffered a ski injury in 2013, he would have had a chance at winning his eighth World Championship in Template:F1.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2023, Williams team principal James Vowles, who was Mercedes chief strategist during Schumacher's time at the team between 2010 and 2012 and was instrumental in the team's success in the mid-to-late 2010s, said that Schumacher brought Mercedes together. Vowles added: "[Schumacher] also knew his performance was perhaps not quite at the same level, but he made up for it in terms of the amount of work and dedication he put in. From that, Nico learned a lot and conversely, Lewis learned a lot from Nico."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Driver profile and legacy
[edit]Profile
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Schumacher was noted throughout his career for his speed and racecraft,<ref name="Autosport 2009">Template:Cite web</ref> and his ability to produce fast laps at crucial moments in a race and to push his car to the very limit for sustained periods.<ref name="Auto Racing 2007">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Foster 2024">Template:Cite web</ref> He was also noted for his work ethic, pioneering fitness regimen, and ability to galvanise teams around him.<ref name="Autosport 2009"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 2004, Slate magazine described Schumacher as "the ultimate driving machine" and "the most dominant athlete in the world" due to him having become "quicker, stronger, and fitter than the competition by outworking them in the weight room".<ref name="Schulz 2004">Template:Cite web</ref> The magazine also stated that Schumacher changed the sport as he set a new benchmark for other drivers and built the team and technologies around him.<ref name="Schulz 2004"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher exercised four hours a day, mostly to strengthen his neck muscles to better withstand G-forces during races.<ref name="Deutsche Welle 2003">Template:Cite web</ref> After his gym session, he would often head to the race track for testing.<ref name="Deutsche Welle 2003"/> In 2003, Deutsche Welle highlighted Schumacher's "natural talent" for racing and his "discipline and leadership".<ref name="Deutsche Welle 2003"/> In 2023, former Formula One rival Giancarlo Fisichella observed that Schumacher "did not even seem to have sweated" during races, adding that Schumacher is the greatest Formula One driver of all time and "rewrote the history of Formula One".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2003, F1 Racing magazine analysed Schumacher's driving style using telemetry data.<ref name="Hust 2003">Template:Cite web</ref> It was observed that Schumacher was very sensitive and flexible on the gas and brakes. Compared with his Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello, who often either braked or accelerated in a corner, Schumacher usually braked later into a corner and stabilised his car by accelerating slightly, often using both the brake and accelerator pedals at the same time. Exiting a corner, Schumacher accelerated considerably and balanced his car by braking lightly. Martin Brundle talked about being in awe upon seeing Schumacher's telemetry showing he took turn one on full throttle at the Suzuka circuit. With his driving style, Schumacher also went 25 km/h faster through the hairpin corner of Suzuka compared to Barrichello, who lost 0.3 seconds to Schumacher in this corner.<ref name="Hust 2003"/> It was also observed that when needed, such as when the brakes started to overheat, Schumacher adapted his driving style to protect the brakes.<ref name="Hust 2003"/>
Motor Sport author Christopher Hilton observed in 2003 that a "measure of a driver's capabilities is his performance in wet races, because the most delicate car control and sensitivity are needed", and commented that, like other great drivers, Schumacher's record in wet conditions shows very few mistakes; up to the end of 2003, Schumacher won 17 of the 30 races in wet conditions he contested.<ref name="Hilton 2003, pp. 131–132">Template:Cite book</ref> Some of Schumacher's best performances occurred in such conditions, earning him the nicknames Regenkönig ("Rain King"),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> or Regenmeister ("Rain Master"),<ref name="Auto Racing 2007"/> even in the non-German-language media. He is further known as "the Red Baron" because of his red Ferrari and in reference to the German Manfred von Richthofen, the famous flying ace of the First World War. Schumacher's nicknames also include "Schumi",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> "Schuey",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and "Schu".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Schumacher was noted for beating all his teammates during his Formula One career,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> except for his not-fully debut season against three-time World Champion Nelson Piquet, once for 1999 World Championship runner-up Eddie Irvine due to missing six races after a leg injury, and future 2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg when he was in his 40s. Schumacher was also noted for outperforming his cars and for his ability to operate at his peak on every lap,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> having won significant more races than he had either pole positions or fastest laps. Apart from dominating the 1995, 2001, 2002, and 2004 World Championships (with 2002 and 2004 being the sole years where he drove the clear-cut fastest car as Barrichello was the runner-up both years), he won the competitive 2003 World Championship and either won (three times) or narrowly missed (two times) World Championships despite arguably driving an inferior car (1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2000), and arguably would have won in 1999 had it been for the injury,<ref name="RaceFans 2006" /> as the performance gap from McLaren was far smaller than in 1998.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Since the 1994 death of Senna, Schumacher was widely regarded as the fastest driver in Formula One and the most dominant driver of his era. During his long career, Schumacher was also involved in several controversies,<ref name="Autosport 2009" /> most notably the 1994 and 1997 World Championship seasons finals and the 2006 Monaco qualifying. These episodes have been seen as a result of Schumacher's will-to-win mentality.<ref name="Benson 2006" /><ref name="Historic Racing 2007" /> In 2020, Martin Brundle commented: "The make-up of a champion is one of such inner self-belief that occasionally it shows up as flaws. The majority of the sporting greats I've met drive themselves forwards because they are always dissatisfied. But look at what Michael achieved, the speed at which he achieved it, and what he accomplished at two different teams. It's so hard to get to F1, to stay in it, to score podiums, and win races. And that guy won 91 of them, some of them in a class of one."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In a 2006 FIA survey, Schumacher was voted the most popular driver of the season among Formula One fans.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Schumacher was subject to anti-German prejudices throughout his career, however, especially from the British media.<ref name="Howell 2003" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> About his collision with Schumacher in 1994, British driver Damon Hill wrote: "There are two things that set Michael apart from the rest of the drivers in Formula One − his sheer talent and his attitude. I am full of admiration for the former, but the latter leaves me cold."<ref name="Benson 2006" /> In addition to Hill, Schumacher also had rivalries with Mika Häkkinen, whom he beat for his first World Championship at Ferrari and the team's first Drivers' Championship since the Template:F1 season, and Fernando Alonso, who ended Schumacher's five-consecutive titles in the 2000s. Despite only facing him during Schumacher's brief comeback in the 2010s, Lewis Hamilton is also seen a rival due to their similar achievements and driving styles, and cited Schumacher as an inspiration.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Helmet
[edit]Schumacher, in conjunction with Schuberth, helped develop the first lightweight carbon fibre reinforced polymer helmet. In 2004, a prototype was publicly tested by being driven over by a tank; it survived intact.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The helmet kept the driver cool by funneling directed airflow through fifty holes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher's original helmet sported the colours of the German flag and his sponsor's decals. On the top was a blue circle with white astroids.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From the 2000 Monaco Grand Prix, in order to differentiate his colours from his new teammate Rubens Barrichello—whose helmet was predominantly white with a blue circle on top and a red ellipsis surrounding the visor—Schumacher changed the upper blue colour and some of the white areas to red.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix, he wore an all-red helmet that included the names of his ninety-one Grand Prix victories.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At the 2011 Belgian Grand Prix, Schumacher's 20th anniversary in Formula One, he wore a commemorative gold-leafed helmet, which included the year of his debut and the seasons of his seven Drivers' titles.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During his 300th Grand Prix appearance at the 2012 Belgian Grand Prix, Schumacher wore a platinum-leafed helmet with a message of his achievement.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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Helmet for the Template:F1 season (Benetton); Schumacher used the Bell Sports helmet for nine years in Formula One, from the Template:F1 GP to the Template:F1 GP.
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Bell helmet for the Template:F1 season (Benetton); Schumacher kept using this white-coloured helmet after moving to Ferrari in Template:F1 until he switched its colour to red at the Template:F1 GP.
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Schuberth helmet for the Template:F1 season (Ferrari); at the Template:F1 GP, Schumacher switched his helmet from Bell to Schuberth, although there was a contract with Bell for the Template:F1 season. From the 2001 season, Schumacher continued to use the Schuberth helmet until his last race in Formula One.
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Schuberth helmet at the Museo Ferrari with the Marlboro logo, which sometimes had to be removed in countries where tobacco advertising was illegal.
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Schuberth helmet for the Template:F1 season (Mercedes GP); Schumacher kept using a red-coloured helmet at Silver Arrows. Chinese dragon illustration and a Chinese character (力, which stands for "power") are inscribed on the back of the helmet.
Legacy
[edit]
Schumacher's career spanned three decades and left a lasting impact on the sport, Formula One in particular but also motorsport as a whole, and his influence extended beyond his own racing career;<ref name="Walfisz 2023" /> in 2020, he was voted the most influential person in Formula One history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During a large part of his Formula One career, Schumacher was the president of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> a representative body originally set up in 1961 that had been disbanded in 1982 and Schumacher had helped to relaunch in 1994.<ref name="Gibson 2016" /> Schumacher has also often been credited with popularising Formula One worldwide, especially in Germany, where it was formerly considered a fringe sport.<ref name="Goren 2001" /><ref name="Sapa 2006" /> When Schumacher first retired in 2006, three of the top ten drivers in that year's Drivers' standings were German, more than any other nationality. Younger German drivers, such as Sebastian Vettel, felt Schumacher was key in them becoming Formula One drivers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Schumacher was also credited for turning Ferrari into Formula One's most successful team; multi-time World Champion Jackie Stewart believed the transformation of the Ferrari team was Schumacher's greatest feat.<ref name=BBCOct2006 />
By the time of his first retirement in 2006 and his final retirement in 2012, Schumacher was widely considered among the greatest Formula One drivers,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Eichenberger & Stadelmann 2009">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="ABCgreatest" /> a trend that continued into the 2020s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Several commentators and drivers, including among others multi-time World Champions Niki Lauda and Sebastian Vettel,<ref name="BBC Sport 2006">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> former rival David Coulthard,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> former Formula One driver Giancarlo Fisichella,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Mercedes team bosses Ross Brawn and Toto Wolff,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> have at times described him as the greatest of all time.<ref name="Gibson 2016" /> Schumacher has been described as statistically the most successful driver in Formula One history and the most complete Formula One driver ever.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Autosport 2009" /> Objective mathematical models,<ref name="Eichenberger & Stadelmann 2009" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> such as Eichenberger and Stadelmann (2009, 3rd), original F1metrics (2014, 4th),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bell et al. (2015, 3rd), FiveThirtyEight (2018, 2nd), and updated F1metrics (2019, 1st), put Schumacher consistenly among the top 5 greatest Formula One drivers ever.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By 2004, Schumacher came to hold most major Formula One records, and by 2006, his name was inscribed in almost all of Formula One's record books, including for most World Championships (7), most wins (91), most podiums (155), most pole positions (68), and most fastest laps (77),<ref name="Jeffries 2023" /> the latter a record he still holds. Although several of his records were later equalled or beaten, such as the most wins in a season at 13 (a record he first broke in 1995 and then equalled in 2000 and 2001, and further improved in 2002 and 2004), others remain his, such as his 100 percent podium finish in 2002 (17),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which included eleven wins, five second places, and one third place.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2006, Schumacher was also the driver to have made the most starts with the same constructor (Ferrari, 180) and engine manufacturer (Ferrari, 180).<ref name="Collantine 2006">Template:Cite web</ref> He and Rubens Barrichello were the two drivers who have made the most starts as teammate (102, 2000–2005) and most 1–2 finishes (24 in the same period).<ref name="Collantine 2006" /> Schumacher tied Nigel Mansell in 2004 for the record of most wins at the start of a season, and he tied Senna for most pole positions at the same circuit (eight, with Schumacher at Suzuka and Senna at Imola).<ref name="Collantine 2006" /> At 15 seasons, he holds the record for most consecutive seasons of winning at least one race (shared with Hamilton), and he held the record for most wins at the same venue (eight, at the Magny-Cours circuit in France) and also the record for the most wins in the same Grand Prix (eight, France).<ref name="Collantine 2006" /> At the 2003 Italian Grand Prix, he set the record for the race win at the fastest ever average speed of 247.586 kph (153.843 mph).<ref name="Collantine 2006" /> By 2006, he had spent a record 5,108 of his racing laps in the lead, and led 141 races.<ref name="Collantine 2006" /> He also made the most starts from the front row (115), scored the most points (1,369) before the point-system was overhauled in 2010, finished the most races in the points consecutively (24, from 2001 to 2003), and held the record for most consecutive fastest laps at the same circuit (7).<ref name="Collantine 2006" /> In 2002, he won the World Championship with six rounds to spare, which was earlier in the year than anyone before him (21 July).<ref name="Collantine 2006" />
Schumacher, who dominated the sport in the 1990s and early 2000s becoming in 1995 the youngest back-to-back World Champion at the time,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was noted for his ability in the rain, winning many of the wet races he took part in,<ref name="Hilton 2003, pp. 131–132" /> most notably Spain in 1996,<ref name="Beer 2020" /> and for his race pace, being able to set consecutive qualifying fastest laps;<ref name="Auto Racing 2007" /> due to refuelling, he missed out several pole positions, having set his race strategy through more fuel on board (from his debut in 1991 through to the end of 2002 before the introduction of race-fuel qualifying from 2003 onwards, Schumacher was only outqualified 13 times in 178 race entries), and won 23 percent more races than getting pole positions. He also respectively won 51 and 24 times without starting first or from the front row, and had 48 wins with fastest lap, all three being more than any other driver, and converted 40 of his pole positions to wins at 58 percent, a record number that was later beaten by Hamilton. By the time he first retired in 2006, with 91 wins in 248 starts out of 250 entries (only behind Riccardo Patrese), Schumacher had a win ratio of 36 percent of starts, ahead of Formula One drivers Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, both of them at 25 percent of starts. He also had 27 percent of pole positions, 30 percent of fastest laps, and the most victories from pole with fastest lap at 22.<ref name="Collantine 2006" /> He also could have won even more races had he went to the dominant teams of the 1990s (Williams and McLaren) and not joined Ferrari in 1996, a view echoed by his former teammate Eddie Irvine,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and could have become the first driver to win 100 races were it not for some situations that went beyond his control, such as reliability issues causing him to finish lower than first in 1994, one revoked win in 1994, two unfortunate collisions with Coulthard and Juan Pablo Montoya in 1998 and 2004, the two wins he gave to Irvine and Barrichello in 1999 and 2002, and retirements at the 1994 Spanish Grand Prix, the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix, and the 2012 Monaco Grand Prix.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Personal life
[edit]In August 1995, Schumacher married Corinna Betsch.<ref name="Holt 2006">Template:Cite news</ref> They have two children, a daughter Template:Ill (b. 1997) and a son, Mick (b. 1999). Schumacher has always been very protective of his private life and is known to dislike the celebrity spotlight.<ref name="Holt 2006"/> From 1992 to May 1996, Schumacher resided in the Fontvieille district in Monaco. The family moved to a newly built mansion near Gland, Switzerland, in 2007, covering an area of Template:Convert with a private beach on Lake Geneva and featuring an underground garage and petrol station, with a vintage Shell fuel pump.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher and his wife own horse ranches in Texas and Switzerland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher's younger brother Ralf, his son Mick, his nephew David and step-brother Sebastian Stahl have also been racing drivers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ralf Schumacher competed in Formula One for ten years, starting from 1997 until the end of 2007.<ref name="Donaldson 2016"/> Mick became the third Schumacher to race in Formula One, having made his debut with Haas F1 Team in the Template:F1 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Before his skiing accident in 2013, Schumacher's main hobbies included horse riding, motorcycle racing, sky diving, and playing football for his local team FC Echichens.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher appeared in several charity football games,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and organised games between Formula One drivers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2008, Sammarinese football club SS Murata approached Schumacher to join their squad for their upcoming UEFA Champions League qualifying matches but he turned down the offer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He supports 1. FC Köln, his local football club when he grew up, naming Pierre Littbarski and Harald Schumacher his favourite players.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is a Roman Catholic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2006, Schumacher had a voice role in the Disney/Pixar film Cars. His character is himself as a Ferrari F430 who visits the town of Radiator Springs to get new tires from Luigi and Guido at the recommendation of Lightning McQueen. During arrival, Luigi and Guido both faint in excitement when they see him. The French film Asterix at the Olympic Games features Schumacher in a cameo role as a chariot driver called Schumix. In 2009, Schumacher appeared on the BBC's motoring programme Top Gear as the Stig.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Presenter Jeremy Clarkson hinted later in the programme that Schumacher was not the regular Stig, which the BBC subsequently confirmed. Schumacher was there because Ferrari would not allow anyone else to drive the unique black Ferrari FXX that was featured in the show.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In July 2021, Netflix announced the first officially approved documentary film about Schumacher—called Schumacher—which was released on 15 September 2021.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Finance and sponsorship
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In 1999 and 2000, Forbes magazine listed him as the highest paid athlete in the world.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 2005, EuroBusiness magazine identified Schumacher as the world's first billionaire athlete.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2005, Forbes ranked him 17th in its "The World's Most Powerful Celebrities" list.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A significant share of his income came from advertising; Deutsche Vermögensberatung paid him $8 million over three years from 1999 for wearing a 10 by 8 centimetre advertisement on his post-race cap.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2010, his personal fortune was estimated at £515 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2017, Forbes designated Schumacher as the athlete with the fifth highest career earnings of all-time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Philanthropy
[edit]Schumacher was a special ambassador to UNESCO and has donated €1.5 million to the organisation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Additionally, he paid for the construction of a school for poor children and for area improvements in Dakar, Senegal. He supported a hospital for child victims of the siege in Sarajevo, which specialises in caring for amputees.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Lima, Peru, he funded the Palace for the Poor, a centre for helping homeless street children obtain an education, clothing, food, medical attention, and shelter. Schumacher told F1 Magazine: "It's great if you can use your fame and the power your fame gives you to draw attention to things that really matter."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For the 2002 European floods, Schumacher donated €1 million;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> years later, Schumacher did the same when he donated €500,000 after the 2013 European floods.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He donated $10 million for aid after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which surpassed that of any other sports person, most sports leagues, many worldwide corporations and even some countries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From 2002 to 2006, he donated at least $50 million to various charities.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2008, he donated between $5 million and $10 million to the Clinton Foundation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Since his participation in an FIA European road safety campaign, as part of his punishment after the collision at the 1997 European Grand Prix, Schumacher continued to support other campaigns, such as Make Roads Safe, which is led by the FIA Foundation and calls on G8 countries and the United Nations to recognise global road deaths as a major global health issue. In 2008, Schumacher was the figurehead of an advertising campaign by Bacardi to raise awareness about responsible drinking. He featured in an advertising campaign for television, cinema and online media, supported by consumer engagements, public relations and digital media across the world.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2013 skiing accident
[edit]On 29 December 2013, Schumacher was skiing with his 14-year-old son Mick, descending the Combe de Saulire below the Dent de Burgin above Méribel in the French Alps. An experienced skier, while crossing an unsecured off-piste area between Piste Chamois and Piste Mauduit,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> he fell and hit his head on a rock, sustaining a serious head injury despite wearing a ski helmet.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to his physicians, he would most likely have died had he not been wearing a helmet.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was airlifted to Grenoble Hospital where he underwent two surgical interventions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was put into a medically induced coma because of traumatic brain injury.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By March 2014, there were small encouraging signs. In early April 2014, he was showing moments of consciousness as he was gradually withdrawn from the medically induced coma.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In June 2014, he left Grenoble Hospital for further rehabilitation at the Lausanne University Hospital, Switzerland.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In September 2014, he left the hospital and was brought back to his home for further rehabilitation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Since his accident, there was little public information about his condition or recovery, with his family asking for privacy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In November 2014, it was reported that he was "paralysed and in a wheelchair", and that he "cannot speak and has memory problems".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In May 2015, Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm stated that his condition was slowly improving "considering the severeness of the injury he had".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In September 2016, Felix Damm, lawyer for Schumacher, told a German court that his client "cannot walk", in response to reports from December 2015 in German publication Die Bunte that he could walk again.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In July 2019, former Ferrari manager Jean Todt stated that Schumacher was making "good progress" but also "struggles to communicate". Todt also said that Schumacher was able to watch Formula One races on television at his home.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In September 2019, Le Parisien reported that Schumacher had been admitted to the Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou in Paris for treatment by cardiovascular surgeon Philippe Menasché, described as a "pioneer in cell surgery". Following the treatment, which involved him receiving an anti-inflammatory stem cell perfusion, medical staff stated that he was "conscious".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
His family maintains strict privacy about his condition since his accident in 2013. In April 2023, Die Aktuelle published without permission what it advertised as a "first interview" with him, including quotes from him about his health and family; it stated, only at the end, that these responses had been fabricated using generative artificial intelligence (AI). Schumacher's family said that they would sue the magazine, which fired the editor responsible,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but ultimately reached a settlement, with the magazine's owner paying the Schumacher family €200,000.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In February 2025, Schumacher's former bodyguard was given a two year suspended sentence for stealing images, videos and confidential medical records and passing them to Yilmaz Tozturkan, who threatened to "upload them on to the dark web" unless the Schumacher family paid money. Tozturkan, a nightclub bouncer, was sentenced to three years in prison, and his son was given a six month suspended sentence.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Honours and achievements
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Schumacher has been honoured many times. In 1992, the German Motor Sport Federation awarded him the ONS Cup, the highest accolade in German motorsport; he also won the trophy in 1994, 1995, and 2002.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1993, he won a Bambi Award (Sports) and was the first racing driver to receive the Golden Steering Wheel.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1994 and from 2001 to 2003, Schumacher was voted European Sportsperson of the Year by the International Sports Press Association.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was voted by Polish Press Agency the European Sportsperson of the Year from 2001 to 2003.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1995 and from 2000 to 2002, he was named Autosport International Racing Driver of the Year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schumacher was voted German Sportspersonality of the Year in 1995 and 2004.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During the latter year, he was voted Germany's greatest sportsperson of the 20th century, beating Birgit Fischer and Steffi Graf to the accolade.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For his sports achievements and his commitment to road safety, Schumacher was awarded Germany's highest sporting accolade, the Silbernes Lorbeerblatt, in 1997.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2002, for his contributions to sport and his contributions in raising awareness of child education, Schumacher was named as one of the UNESCO Champions for Sport.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Schumacher won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year in 2002 and 2004,<ref name="laureus-award Michael Schumacher">Template:Cite web</ref> received the Marca Leylenda award in 2001,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was named L'Équipe Champion of Champions three times (from 2001 to 2003),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> won the Gazzetta World Sports Award twice (2001 and 2002),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and won the 2003 Lorenzo Bandini Trophy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In honour of Schumacher's racing career and his efforts to improve road safety and the sport, he was awarded an FIA Gold Medal for Motor Sport in 2006.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The same year, ahead of his final race for Ferrari at Interlagos on 22 October, football player Pelé presented a "Lifetime Achievement Award" to Schumacher.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2007, he received the Prince of Asturias Award for Sport for his sporting prowess and his humanitarian record.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Together with Sebastian Vettel, Schumacher won the Race of Champions Nations' Cup six times in a row for Germany, from 2007 to 2012.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2017, Schumacher was inducted into the FIA Hall of Fame and Germany's Sports Hall of Fame.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2020, Jean Todt honoured Schumacher with the FIA President Award, in recognition of Schumacher's seven World Championships and the "inspiration his sporting and personal commitments brought to the world".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Sarajevo, Schumacher was granted honorary citizenship,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while the Assembly of the Sarajevo Canton renamed major city transversal street after him,<ref name="N1-Sarajevo">Template:Cite web</ref> and earlier a large street mural was painted in a city neighborhood of Dobrinja by a group of artists.<ref name="N1-mural">Template:Cite web</ref> Honorary citizenship was also granted by Maranello, Modena, and Spa.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was appointed Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> was honoured with the Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and was appointed an ambassador of San Marino.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2008, the Swiss Football Association appointed Schumacher as the country's ambassador for UEFA Euro 2008, hosted by Switzerland and Austria.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In recognition of his contribution to Formula One, the Nürburgring circuit renamed turns 9 and 10 as the Schumacher S in 2007.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2014, the first corner of the Bahrain International Circuit was renamed in honour of Schumacher.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was awarded the State Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia in 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Karting record
[edit]Karting career summary
[edit]| Season | Series | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | CIK-FIA Junior World Cup – ICA | NC | |
| German Championship – Junior | 1st | ||
| 1985 | CIK-FIA Junior World Cup – ICA | 2nd | |
| German Championship – Junior | 1st | ||
| 1986 | German Championship – Senior | 3rd | |
| 1987 | German Championship – Senior | 1st | |
| CIK-FIA European Championship – 100cc | 1st | ||
| 1994 | Masters of Paris-Bercy – F1 Stars | 1st | |
| 1996 | CIK-FIA Monaco Kart Cup – FA | 1st | |
| Masters of Paris-Bercy – CIK | 1st | ||
| 2001 | CIK-FIA World Championship – FSA | Tony Kart | 21st |
| 2007 | Desafio Internacional das Estrelas | 1st | |
| 2008 | Desafio Internacional das Estrelas | 8th | |
| 2009 | SKUSA SuperNationals – SuperPro | 9th | |
| Desafio Internacional das Estrelas | 1st | ||
| Sources:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |||
Racing record
[edit]Career summary
[edit]Complete German Formula Three results
[edit](key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | DC | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | WTS Racing | Volkswagen | HOC Template:Small |
NÜR Template:Small |
AVU Template:Small |
BRN Template:Small |
ZEL Template:Small |
HOC Template:Small |
WUN Template:Small |
HOC Template:Small |
DIE Template:Small |
NÜR Template:Small |
NÜR Template:Small |
HOC Template:Small |
3rd | Template:Tooltip |
| 1990 | WTS Racing | Template:Tooltip | ZOL Template:Small |
HOC Template:Small |
NÜR Template:Small |
AVU Template:Small |
WUN Template:Small |
NOR Template:Small |
ZEL Template:Small |
DIE Template:Small |
NÜR Template:Small |
NÜR Template:Small |
HOC Template:Small |
1st | 148 | |
| Template:Center | ||||||||||||||||
Complete World Sportscar Championship results
[edit](key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Class | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Template:Tooltip | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Team Sauber Mercedes | C | Mercedes-Benz C11 | Mercedes-Benz M119 5.0 V8 t | SUZ | MNZ | SIL Template:Small |
SPA | DIJ Template:Small |
NÜR Template:Small |
DON | CGV | MEX Template:Small |
5th | 21 |
| 1991 | Team Sauber Mercedes | C1 | Mercedes-Benz C291 | Mercedes-Benz M291 3.5 F12 | SUZ Template:Small |
MNZ Template:Small |
SIL Template:Small |
NÜR Template:Small |
MAG Template:Small |
MEX Template:Small |
AUT Template:Small |
9th | 43 | ||
| C2 | Mercedes-Benz C11 | Mercedes-Benz M119 5.0 V8 t | LMS Template:Small |
||||||||||||
| Template:Center | |||||||||||||||
Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft results
[edit]| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | Template:Tooltip | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | AMG Motorenbau GmbH | Mercedes 190 E 2.5–16 Evo II | ZOL 1 |
ZOL 2 |
HOC 1 |
HOC 2 |
NÜR 1 |
NÜR 2 |
AVU 1 |
AVU 2 |
MFA 1 |
MFA 2 |
WUN 1 |
WUN 2 |
NÜR 1 |
NÜR 2 |
NOR 1 |
NOR 2 |
DIE 1 |
DIE 2 |
NÜR 1 |
NÜR 2 |
HOC 1 Template:Small |
HOC 2 Template:Small |
NC | 0 | ||
| 1991 | Zakspeed Racing | Mercedes 190 E 2.5–16 Evo II | ZOL 1 |
ZOL 2 |
HOC 1 |
HOC 2 |
NÜR 1 |
NÜR 2 |
AVU 1 |
AVU 2 |
WUN 1 |
WUN 2 |
NOR 1 Template:Small |
NOR 2 Template:Small |
DIE 1 Template:Small |
DIE 2 Template:Small |
NÜR 1 |
NÜR 2 |
ALE 1 |
ALE 2 |
HOC 1 |
HOC 2 |
BRN 1 |
BRN 2 |
DON 1 |
DON 2 |
NC | 0 |
| Template:Center | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
24 Hours of Le Mans results
[edit]| Year | Team | Co-drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:24hLM | Template:Flagicon Team Sauber Mercedes | Template:Flagicon Karl Wendlinger Template:Flagicon Fritz Kreutzpointner |
Mercedes-Benz C11 | C2 | 355 | 5th | 5th |
| Template:Center | |||||||
Complete Japanese Formula 3000 Championship results
[edit](key)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Template:Tooltip | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Team LeMans | Ralt RT23 | Mugen | SUZ | AUT | FUJ | MIN | SUZ | SUG Template:Small |
FUJ | SUZ | FUJ | SUZ | FUJ | 12th | 6 |
| Template:Center | ||||||||||||||||
Complete Formula One results
[edit](key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Template:Sup Schumacher was disqualified from the 1997 World Drivers' Championship due to dangerous driving in the Template:F1 GP, where he caused an avoidable accident with Jacques Villeneuve. His points tally would have placed him in second place in that year's standings.<ref name="FIA 1997"/>
Template:Sup Driver did not finish the Grand Prix but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.
Formula One records
[edit]Schumacher holds the following Formula One records:
Footnotes Template:Reflist
See also
[edit]- 15761 Schumi
- Forbes list of the world's highest-paid athletes
- Formula One drivers from Germany
- Häkkinen–Schumacher rivalry
- Hill–Schumacher rivalry
- List of career achievements by Michael Schumacher
- Michael Schumacher Racing World Kart 2002
- Schumacher
References
[edit]Specific Template:Reflist
General
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External links
[edit]- Template:Official website
- Template:DriverDB driver
- Template:Racing-Reference driver
- Kartcenter and Museum
- Kartteam Kaiser-Schumacher-Muchow
- Formula1.com Profile
Template:Navboxes Template:Michael Schumacher Template:German F3 champions Template:Macau Grand Prix winners Template:Formula One drivers from Germany Template:Formula One World Drivers' Champions Template:Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Template:Autosport International Racing Driver Award Template:Prince of Asturias Award for Sports Template:Mercedes Grand Prix Template:Scuderia Ferrari Template:Benetton Formula Template:Jordan Grand Prix Template:PAP European Sportsperson of the Year Template:L'Équipe Champion of Champions
- Pages with broken file links
- Michael Schumacher
- 1969 births
- 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers
- Ambassadors of San Marino
- Benetton Formula One drivers
- Ferrari Formula One drivers
- Formula Ford drivers
- Formula One race winners
- Formula One World Drivers' Champions
- German expatriates in Monaco
- German expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland
- German Formula One drivers
- German Formula Three Championship drivers
- German philanthropists
- German racing drivers
- German Roman Catholics
- HWA Team drivers
- Japanese Formula 3000 Championship drivers
- Jordan Formula One drivers
- Karting World Championship drivers
- Knights of the Legion of Honour
- Laureus World Sports Awards winners
- Living people
- Mercedes-Benz Formula One drivers
- People from Hürth
- People with disorders of consciousness
- People with traumatic brain injuries
- Recipients of the Silver Laurel Leaf
- Sauber Motorsport drivers
- Schumacher family (sports)
- Racing drivers from Cologne (region)
- Team LeMans drivers
- World Sportscar Championship drivers
- 21st-century German sportsmen