Editing Michael Schumacher (section)

===Lower formulae and sportscar racing===
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>{{Cite AV media|date=12 November 2019|title=Schumacher vs Hakkinen {{!}} 1990 Macau Formula 3 Race|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCv7Lej1VLo&ab_channel=DukeVideo|access-date=30 August 2021|via=YouTube|archive-date=12 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512084743/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCv7Lej1VLo&ab_channel=DukeVideo}}</ref> While Häkkinen's race was ended, Schumacher drove to victory without a rear wing.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Kopu|first1=Ville|last2=Nottmeier|first2=Jan|date=24 October 2006|title=Schumacher 500: Has the King Lost His Crown?|url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/98/ger/schum.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007021024/http://atlasf1.autosport.com/98/ger/schum.html|archive-date=7 October 2015|access-date=27 February 2020|website=Autosport}}</ref> Schumacher gave the [[prize money]] from winning the race to his family as they had debts.<ref name="Goren 2001">{{Cite web|last=Goren|first=Biranit|date=17 October 2001|title=The View from the Top: Exclusive Interview with Michael Schumacher|url=http://www.atlasf1.com/2001/jpn/goren.html|access-date=17 July 2023|website=Atlas F1|archive-date=17 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230717111419/http://www.atlasf1.com/2001/jpn/goren.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Reynard F 903-001 1990 Michael Schuhmacher Formula 3 EMS.jpg|thumb|left|Schumacher's title-winning German [[Formula Three]] car from 1990]]
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 Motorsport|Sauber]]–[[Mercedes-Benz C11|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&nbsp;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>{{Cite web|last=Watkins|first=Gary|date=February 2005|title=Schumacher at Sauber|url=http://www.autosport.com/journal/article.php/id/347/|website=Autosport|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130806191149/http://www.autosport.com/journal/article.php/id/347/|archive-date=6 August 2013|access-date=17 December 2012}}</ref>