Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher, born January 3, 1969, in Hürth Hermülheim, Germany, is a former Formula One driver, and seven-time world champion. According to the official Formula One web site, he is "statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen. He is the first German to win the F1 World championship. Jochen Rindt, who was born in Germany, also won the Formula 1 World Championship, but he raced under the Austrian flag. Schumcaher is credited with popularising Formula One in Germany. He was the world's first billionaire athlete, with an annual salary reported to be around $80 million in 2004. In a 2006 FIA survey Michael Schumacher was voted the most popular driver with F1 fans. After winning two championships with Benetton, Schumacher moved to the Ferrari team in 1996, which had not won a drivers' championship since 1979, with Jody Scheckter. From 2000 to 2004, Schumacher won five consecutive drivers' titles with the team. Triple World Champion Jackie Stewart believes his transformation of the Ferrari team was Schumacher's greatest feat. As of 2006, Schumacher holds nearly every record in Formula One, including most drivers' championships, race victories, fastest laps, pole positions, and most races won in a single season. Schumacher has twice been involved in collisions which determined the outcome of the world championship. He was disqualified from the 1997 championship for deliberately driving into title rival Jacques Villeneuve. On September 10 2006, Schumacher announced his retirement as a driver. It was revealed on 29 October 2006 that Schumacher will act as assistant to the newly appointed Scuderia Ferrari CEO Jean Todt for the 2007 Formula One Season in particular scouting for new drivers.
[edit] Early yearsSchumacher is the son of Rolf, a bricklayer who ran the local kart track in Kerpen for a second job. His mother Elisabeth worked in the canteen. He began kart racing at the age of four, using a homemade kart built by his father. It was nothing more than a pedal-kart that had been fitted with a small motorcycle engine. He quickly mastered the vehicle, winning his first kart championship at the age of six. Schumacher's parents could not afford to develop his driving talents further. Instead, they had to rely upon the generosity and sponsorship of a few affluent people who also saw the potential of their son. From 1984 Schumacher won numerous German and European kart championships, including the Formula Konig Series. By 1987 he was the German and European kart champion, at which point he withdrew from school and began working as a mechanic. In 1988 Schumacher raced in the Formula Ford series and competed in the German Formula 3 series for the next two years, winning the title in 1990. Towards the end of 1990 he joined the Mercedes junior racing programme in the 1990 World Sportscar Championship, gaining a victory at the season finale at the Mexico City in a Sauber-Mercedes C11 and finishing fifth in the drivers championship. He continued with the team into the 1991 World Sportscar Championship season, winning again at the season finale at Autopolis in Japan with a Sauber-Mercedes C291, leading to a ninth place finish in the drivers championship. He also briefly competed in the Japanese Formula 3000 Championship and the DTM in the early 1990s. [edit] Formula One careerSchumacher was noted throughout his career for his ability to produce fast laps at crucial moments in a race, his ability to push his car to the very limit, and for his driving abilities in wet conditions. Wet conditions are often thought of as the great equaliser in Formula One racing, where driver skills trump all else. Some of Schumacher's best performances occurred in such conditions, earning him the title "Regenkönig" (rain king) or "Regenmeister" (rain master). He is also referred to as the Red Baron, because of his red Ferrari, and in reference to the German Manfred von Richthofen, the famous flying ace of World War I. He is also nicknamed "Schumi", "Schuey" and "Schu". In 2006, three of the top ten drivers were German, more than any other nationality and more than has ever been present in Formula One history. Younger German drivers, such as Sebastian Vettel, feel Schumacher was key in opening doors for them in Formula One. Latterly the senior driver in Formula One, Schumacher was for many years the president of the Grand Prix Drivers Association. [edit] DebutSchumacher made his Formula One debut with the Jordan-Ford team at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix as a replacement for the imprisoned Bertrand Gachot. Schumacher, still a contracted Mercedes driver, was signed by Eddie Jordan after he performed impressively at a Silverstone test the week before the race. His manager Willi Weber assured Jordan that he knew the challenging Spa Francorchamps circuit well, despite the fact that he had only been around the track once on a bicycle. Schumacher impressed the paddock by qualifying seventh in his first competition in a Formula One car, matching the team's season-best grid position, and out-qualifying his team mate, Andrea de Cesaris, an 11-year veteran. He retired on the first lap of the race with clutch problems, however. [edit] Benetton years[edit] 1991 − 1993After his debut for Jordan, Schumacher was signed by Benetton to drive a car similar to this B191 for the rest of the season. After his debut, he was signed by Benetton-Ford for the following race. Although Jordan had an agreement in principle with Schumacher's Mercedes management for the remainder of the season, they had not yet signed a contract. Jordan challenged Benetton in the UK courts, but lost the case. Schumacher finished the 1991 season with four points in six races. Schumacher became known as an up-and-coming driver in F1 as he claimed his first podium in the 1992 Mexican Grand Prix and his first victory in the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa Francorchamps circuit, which would become his favourite track. He finished third in the Drivers' Championship in 1992 with 53 points, three behind the runner-up Riccardo Patrese. Benetton was not fully competitive in 1993 with the more advanced and powerful Williams of Damon Hill and Alain Prost or the "loads of electronic trickery" found in the McLaren of Ayrton Senna. For the first part of the season the team also lacked the traction control used by other top teams. Schumacher won one race, the Portuguese Grand Prix and retired in seven of the other 15 races. He finished the season in fourth, with 52 points. [edit] 1994 − 1995Schumacher won his first Drivers' World Championship in 1994 while driving for Benetton in a controversial season marred by allegations of cheating and the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger at the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola. Schumacher started the season strongly, winning six of the first seven races. His Benetton team, among others, was investigated on suspicion of breaking the FIA-imposed ban on electronic aids. On investigation, the FIA discovered illegal software in the Benetton and other teams' cars, but no evidence that it had been used in a race. The teams investigated received little to no punishment. At the British Grand Prix, Schumacher was penalised for overtaking on the formation lap. He then ignored the penalty and the subsequent black flag during the race, for which he was disqualified and later given a two-race ban. Benetton blamed the fiasco on a communication error between the stewards and the team. Schumacher was also disqualified after winning the Belgian Grand Prix after his car was found to have illegal wear on its skidblock. Benetton protested that the skidblock had been damaged when Schumacher spun over a kerb, but the FIA rejected their appeal. These incidents helped Damon Hill close the points gap. Leading by a single point going into the final race at Adelaide in Australia, Schumacher won first World Championship after colliding with Hill in a controversial incident, taking out both drivers. Schumacher became the first German to win the Formula One world championship. In 1995, Schumacher stayed with Benetton. He successfully defended his title, accumulating 33 more points than second-placed Damon Hill, despite Hill having the superior vehicle. With team-mate Johnny Herbert, he took Benetton to its first Constructors' Championship. He became the youngest double world champion in Formula One history, until Fernando Alonso beat the record in 2006. During this season, the Benetton was not the best car in the field; nonetheless Schumacher won 9 out of the 17 races and finished on the podium 11 times. Only once did he qualify worse than fourth, at the 1995 Belgian Grand Prix, where he qualified 16th, but went on to win the race. After Schumacher left, Benetton would only win one more race before it was bought by Renault in 2000. [edit] Ferrari yearsIn 1996, Schumacher signed with Ferrari, then considered technologically and organisationally inferior to front running teams such as Benetton and Williams. Ferrari had not won the Drivers' Championship since Jody Scheckter in 1979. Various Ferraris since then had been labelled "a truck", "a pig", and "an accident waiting to happen" by their drivers, notably Alain Prost. The poor performance of the Ferrari pit crews was considered a running joke. Schumacher is often credited along with Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne and Jean Todt with turning this once struggling team into the most successful team in Formula One history. Triple World Champion Jackie Stewart believes the transformation of the Ferrari team was Schumacher's greatest feat. [edit] 1996 − 1999In 1996 Schumacher finished third in the Drivers' Championship. He won three races, more than the team's total tally for the period from 1991 to 1995. The team's reliability troubles continued - Schumacher did not finish six of the 16 races. In the French Grand Prix Schumacher qualified on pole position but suffered an engine failure on the formation lap. Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve fought for the title in 1997. In the first part of the season, Villeneuve gained the advantage, driving the superior FW19. However, Schumacher led the Championship through the mid season, winning five races, and entered the last Grand Prix of the season at Jerez with a one point advantage over Villeneuve. During the race Schumacher and Villeneuve collided as the Canadian driver attempted to overtake. Schumacher retired from the race and Villeneuve scored four points to take the championship by three points. Schumacher was held to be at fault and was disqualified from the Drivers' Championship. Mika Hakkinen joined the list of Schumacher's rivals in 1998. Hakkinen won the first two races of the season, gaining a 16 point advantage over Schumacher. Schumacher won six races during the season, equalling the Finn with 80 points by the 14th of 16 races. Hakkinen won the last two races of the season and became World Champion. After a race-ending collision during the Belgian Grand Prix, Schumacher stormed into the McLaren garage and accused Hakkinen's team mate David Coulthard of trying to kill him. Schumacher's efforts helped Ferrari win the Constructors' title in 1999. His hopes for the Drivers' Championship were dashed at the British Grand Prix, where he broke his leg after a rear brake failure sent him off the circuit at the high speed Stowe Corner. After missing six races, he assumed the role of a second driver, assisting team mate Eddie Irvine's bid to win the Drivers' Championship for Ferrari. Irvine lost the title to Hakkinen in the last race, the Japanese Grand Prix. Schumacher would later say that Hakkinen was the opponent he respected the most. [edit] 2000 − 2002In 2000 Schumacher won his third World Championship after a hard-fought year-long battle with Mika Hakkinen. Schumacher won the first three races of the season, and five of the first eight. Midway through the year, three consecutive non-finishes, included being hit from behind at the first corner in Austria and Germany, allowed Hakkinen to close the gap in the championship standings. Hakkinen took another two victories before Schumacher won at the Italian Grand Prix. At the post race press conference, Schumacher broke into tears when asked about his feelings on equalling his idol Ayrton Senna's record of 41 race wins. The championship fight went down to the penultimate race in Japan. Starting from pole position, Schumacher lost his lead to Hakkinen early in the race. He came out ahead of Hakkinen after his second pit-stop and went on to win the race and the Championship. In 2001, Schumacher took his fourth drivers' title. Four other drivers won races, but none sustained a season-long challenge for the championship. 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 Canadian Grand Prix, where Schumacher finished 2nd to his brother Ralf, thus scoring the first ever 1-2 finish with two brothers and the Belgian Grand Prix where Schumacher scored his 52nd career win, breaking Alain Prost's record for most career wins. In 2002, a dominant year, Schumacher used the Ferrari F2002 to retain his Drivers' Championship. In doing so he equalled the record set by Juan Manuel Fangio of 5 world championships. Ferrari won 15 out of 17 races and Schumacher won the title with six races remaining in the season. Schumacher also broke Nigel Mansell's and his own record of nine race wins in a season, scoring 11 and finishing every race on the podium. He finished with 144 points, 60 head of runner-up team mate Rubens Barrichello. Schumacher and Barrichello finished 9 of the 17 races in the first two places. [edit] 2003 − 2004Schumacher broke Juan Manuel Fangio's record for championship wins by winning the drivers' title for the sixth time in 2003, a closely contested season. The biggest competition came once again from the McLaren-Mercedes and BMW-Williams. Schumacher ran off track in the first race and was involved in collisions in the following two and fell 13 points behind Kimi Raikkonen. Schumacher won the San Marino Grand Prix and the next two races to close within two points of Raikkonen. Aside from a victory in Canada, and Barrichello's victory in Britain, the mid-season was dominated by the Williams of Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya who each claimed two victories. After the Hungarian Grand Prix Schumacher led Montoya and Raikkonen by only one and two points respectively. Schumacher took two more decisive wins and after Montoya was penalized in the United States, only he and Raikkonen remained in contention for the title. At the final round, the Japanese Grand Prix, Schumacher needed only one point whilst Raikkonen needed to win. The German driver took a single point for eighth place and won his sixth World Drivers' title, finishing two points ahead of Raikkonen. In 2004, Schumacher won a record twelve of the first thirteen races of the season, only failing to finish in Monaco after an accident with Juan Pablo Montoya during the safety car period. He clinched a record seventh drivers' title at the Belgian Grand Prix. He would finish this season with a record 148 points, 34 points ahead of the runner-up, his team mate Rubens Barrichello, and a new record of 13 race wins out of 18 that season, surpassing his previous best of 11 in the 2002 season. [edit] 2005 − 2006In 2005 Schumacher's sole win was at the United States Grand Prix, a race contested by only six cars due to safety concerns about the Michelin tyres used by most teams. Over the season, Ferrari's Bridgestone tyres worked less well than their Michelin counterparts under new rules requiring tyres to last the whole race. According to the Associated Press, the rule changes were intended to end the domination of Ferrari and Schumacher. Less than half-way through the season, Schumacher said "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." The most notable moments of the season for Schumacher was his battle with Fernando Alonso in San Marino, where he qualified 14th and ended in second, only 0.2 seconds behind the Spanish driver. Schumacher retired in six of the 19 races. He finished the season in third with 62 points, less than half the points of the champion Fernando Alonso. 2006 would become the last season of Schumacher's racing career. Although he did better than in 2005, it still was not enough and he lost the title to Fernando Alonso in the last race of the season. After three races, he had 11 points and was already 17 points behind Alonso. He won the two following races, which were his first wins in 18 months barring the boycott-marred 2005 United States Grand Prix. His pole position at San Marino was his 66th, breaking Ayrton Senna's 12 year old record. By the Canadian Grand Prix, the ninth race of the season he was 25 points behind Alonso, but the three wins that followed helped him reduce his disadvantage to 11. After two races where his advantage was increased by one point, the victories in Italy and China made him the leader of the championship for the only time during the season. Although he and Alonso had the same points, Schumacher was in front because he had won more races. A series of misfortunes and problems would come and make him lose the title. The Japanese Grand Prix saw Schumacher retiring after his first engine failure in five years with only 16 laps to go while leading the track. Alonso, who was behind him, would go on to win the race and almost the Championship, by getting a 10 point advantage before the last race of the season. The only way Schumacher could win the championship was if he won the race and if Alonso did not manage to score a single point. Schumacher himself conceded the title to Alonso after the race. In the last race, the Brazilian Grand Prix, Schumacher finished fourth. Before the race he was awarded a trophy by football legend Pele for his years of dedication to F1. During the qualifying session, he managed to get the best time of all drivers in the first two sessions, but a fuel pressure problem prevented him from completing a single lap during the third part, forcing him to start tenth. Schumacher managed to push forward early to the 6th position. However, after overtaking Giancarlo Fisichella, teammate of Fernando Alonso, on lap 9, Schumacher experienced a puncture caused by the front wing of Fisichella's car. Schumacher pitted and consequently fell to the 19th position and 70 seconds off team mate and race leader Felipe Massa. He managed to regain positions and challenge Fisichella and Raikkonen subsequently overtaking them to secure 4th place and setting fastest lap after fastest lap on the way. His performance at the last race of his career was classified in the press as an "heroic display", a "utterly breath-taking drive" and a "performance that sums up his career". [edit] RetirementWhile Schumacher was on the podium after winning the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, Ferrari issued a press release stating that he would retire from racing at the end of the 2006 season. Schumacher confirmed his retirement in the post-race press conference. The press release also stated that Schumacher would continue working for Ferrari. It was revealed on 29 October, 2006 that Ferrari wanted Schumacher to act as assistant to the newly appointed CEO Jean Todt. This would involve selecting the team's future drivers. After announcing his decision, leading F1 figures such as Niki Lauda and David Coulthard have hailed Schumacher as the greatest all-round racing driver in the history of Formula One. 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. In December 2006, BusinessF1 magazine accused Scuderia Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo of being responsible for the ousting of Schumacher, claiming Montezemolo was engaged in a bitter personal feud with Todt. [edit] AwardsMichael Schumacher won the coveted Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award in 2002 and 2004 for his outstanding performance in the 2001 and 2003 seasons respectively. In its 7-year history, no-one has been nominated more times than Schumacher, who also received nominations for the 2001, 2003 and 2005 awards. In 2006, he was awarded an FIA Gold Medal for Motor Sport in recognition of his contribution to Formula One racing. [edit] HelmetSchumacher helped develop the first lightweight carbon helmet with Schuberth. In 2004, an example was publicly tested for strength by being driven over by a tank and survived intact. In his final Grand Prix, Schumacher wore a special helmet with the names of his ninety-one Grand Prix victories incorporated into the design. [edit] Controversies and criticismDuring his long career Schumacher has been involved in several incidents which caused considerable controversy. Schumacher has been vilified in the British media for his involvement in title-deciding collisions in 1994 and 1997. German and Italian newspapers also widely condemned his actions in 1997. [edit] Championship deciding collisions[edit] 1994 Australian Grand PrixGoing into the 1994 Australian Grand Prix, the final race of the 1994 season, Schumacher led Damon Hill by a single point in the Drivers' Championship. Schumacher led the race from the beginning, with Hill closely following him. On lap 20, Schumacher went off track, hitting a wall with his right side wheels. It is unknown whether Schumacher's car was damaged, although it appeared that he had a suspension problem. He returned to the track at reduced speed but still leading the race. At the next corner, Schumacher and Hill collided when Hill attempted a pass on the inside while Schumacher was turning into the corner. Schumacher's car was tipped up onto two wheels and eliminated on the spot. Hill pitted immediately and retired from the race with unrepairable damage. As neither driver scored, Schumacher took the title. British author Alan Henry claims Schumacher was blamed by 'many F1 insiders' for the incident. The race stewards judged it a racing accident and took no action against either driver. [edit] 1997 European Grand PrixAt the 1997 European Grand Prix at Jerez, the last race of the season, Schumacher led Jacques Villeneuve by one point in the Drivers' Championship. Although Schumacher and Villeneuve had set the same time during qualifying, the Canadian driver started the race in pole position due to having set the time first. By the first corner of the race, Schumacher was ahead of Villeneuve. On lap 48, Villeneuve tried to overtake Schumacher at the Dry Sac Corner. Schumacher turned into Villeneuve, the right-front wheel of Schumacher's Ferrari hitting the left sidepod of Villeneuve's Williams. Schumacher retired from the race immediately while Villeneuve was able to finish the race in the third place, taking four points and so becoming the World Champion. Two weeks after the race, Schumacher was excluded from the results for the season after a FIA disciplinary hearing disqualified him, finding that his "manoeuvre was an instinctive reaction and although deliberate not made with malice or premeditation. It was a serious error." This made him the only driver in the history of the sport to be disqualified from a World Championship. Schumacher accepted the decision and admitted having made a mistake. [edit] Other Incidents[edit] 1998 British Grand PrixTwo laps from the finish of the 1998 British Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher was leading the race when he was issued with a stop-and-go penalty for passing another driver under safety car period. The penalty involved going into the pit lane and stopping for 10 seconds before continuing the race. As it was given with less than 12 laps remaining, and due to the handwritten note used to notify Ferrari there was confusion as to whether the penalty was a 10s stop/go or 10 seconds to be added to his race time. Just before finishing the race, Schumacher turned into the pit lane and passed the finish line to end his race. Only after passing the finish lane Schumacher served the stop-and-go penalty. [edit] 2002 Austrian Grand PrixDuring Schumacher's time at Ferrari, the team often employed team orders to benefit one of their drivers over the other. Usually Schumacher benefitted as team leader, although in 1999 he played a supporting role to Eddie Irvine after missing part of the season with a broken leg. Historically, team orders had always been permitted in Formula One. At the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix, Schumacher's teammate, Rubens Barrichello, took pole and led the race from the start. In the final metres of the race, the Brazilian driver, under orders from Ferrari, slowed his car to make way for Schumacher to pass and win the race. This angered fans who were watching the race at the circuit and at the podium ceremony Schumacher pushed Barrichello onto the top step, for which the Ferrari team later incurred in a 1 million US dollars fine for disturbing the podium ceremony. Later in the season, Schumacher let Barrichello past in a similar fashion at the end of the 2002 United States Grand Prix, causing a similar outcry. The FIA, motor sport's worldwide governing body, banned "Team orders which interfere with the race result" at the end of the season. [edit] 2006 Monaco Grand PrixAlthough Schumacher took the pole position during the qualifying for the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix, there was controversy near the end of the session as Schumacher stopped his car in the Rascasse corner of the circuit, near the end of it, partially blocking the circuit when his main contender for the season title, Fernando Alonso, was on his qualifying lap. Schumacher stated that he simply locked up the wheels going into the corner and the car then stalled while he attempted to reverse out. Alonso believed he would have been on pole if the incident had not happened. Schumacher was later stripped of pole position by the race stewards and started the race at the back of the grid. [edit] Family and off-track lifeSchumacher married Corinna Betsch in August 1995. They have two children, Gina-Maria (born in 1997) and Mick (born in 1999). The family, as of 2006, lives in Gland, Switzerland near Lake Geneva. Schumacher has always been very protective of his private life and is known to dislike the celebrity spotlight, preferring a simple life. Schumacher's brother Ralf is also a Formula One driver. Schumacher was the world's first billionaire athlete. His annual salary was reported to be around $80 million in 2004. In the 2005 Forbes Celebrity 100, the list of "The World's Most Powerful Celebrities", he was ranked 17th. A big share of his income came from advertising: Deutsche Vermögensberatung paid him 8 million US dollars over three years from 1999 for wearing a 10 centimeters by 8 advertisement on his post-race cap. The deal was extended until 2010. Schumacher plays football for his local team FC Echichens. He has appeared in several football charity games and organised games between the F1 drivers. Schumacher donated US$10 million for aid after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. His donation surpassed that of any other sportsperson, most sports leagues, many worldwide corporations and even some countries. It was later revealed that a bodyguard who worked for him, Burkhard Cramer, and his two sons had died in the event, while on holiday in Phuket, Thailand. Schumacher is also a special ambassador to UNESCO and has donated 1.5 million Euros to the organization. Since his participation in a FIA European road safety campaign as part of his punishment after the collision at the 1997 European Grand Prix, Schumacher has continued to support other campaigns, such as Make Roads Safe, led by the FIA Foundation, which is calling on G8 countries and the UN to recognise global road deaths as a major global health issue. Schumacher delivered a vocal performance as a Rosso Corsa Ferrari F430 in Disney-Pixar's animated feature film Cars. In early March 2006, it was reported that Schumacher will play a small role in the movie Asterix at the Olympic Games. 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