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Michael Schumacher (born January 3,
1969) is a German Formula One™ (F1™) driver. He is statistically the most
successful F1 driver ever, with the most career victories, and a record
seven World Drivers' Championships. As of 2004, he earns an estimated US$80
million (~66 Mio.€) annually, including all of his endorsement deals. One notable deal
is with the German investment counseling company Deutsche Vermögensberatung,
which will pay him US$12 million (~10Mio.€) over three years for him to wear a four-inch
advert on his post-race hat.
Following the 2005 Italian Grand Prix it became mathematically impossible
for Schumacher to retain his title, though in reality the possibility was
remote for most of the season.
Early years
Schumacher was born in Hürth-Hermühlheim (close to Cologne). He began racing
karts at the age of four in a home-made kart built by his father, Rolf
Schumacher, who managed the local karting track (located in Kerpen,
Schumacher's home town). He obtained his first license, and began racing
competitively, by the age of twelve. Between 1984 and 1987, Michael won
numerous German and European kart championships, including the Formula Konig
Series. In 1988, Schumacher raced in the Formula Ford series, and over the
next two years competed in the German Formula 3 series, winning the title in
1990. In 1991, he continued his ascent up the racing ladder, joining the
Mercedes junior racing program in the World Endurance Championship, winning
races in Mexico City and at Autopolis, at the wheel of a Sauber-Mercedes
C291. He also briefly competed in the Japanese Formula 3000 Championship and
the German Touring Car Championship in the early 1990s.
F1 debut
Schumacher made his Formula One debut at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix as a
replacement driver for the imprisoned Bertrand Gachot (incarcerated for
spraying CS gas at a London taxicab-driver's face). Eddie Jordan signed
Michael to his Jordan team at the Belgian Grand Prix, where Michael
astonished everyone by qualifying seventh, in his first competition in an F1
vehicle. He was quickly signed by Benetton-Ford for the next race, and
immediately showed great potential. The following year, 1992, he won his
first F1 race (again at the Belgian Grand Prix, on August 30), and he
finished in third place that year in the Driver' Championship.
Schumacher won his first World Championship in 1994 while driving for
Benetton in an extremely exciting and closely-contested season. He won the
first four races of the year, and six of the first seven events. However, in
the latter portion of the year, competitor Damon Hill began to edge closer
to Schumacher in the standings, aided by two technical disqualifications of
Schumacher's Benetton (in Britain and Belgium). Leading by a single point
going into the final race in Australia, Schumacher clinched the title after
a collision with Hill knocked both drivers out of the running. Benetton
switched to Renault power for 1995 and Schumacher successfully defended his
crown that season, accumulating 30 more points than the second placed
driver, who was once again Hill. With teammate Johnny Herbert, he also
helped Benetton win its first (and only) Constructors' Championship. In his
two first championship seasons, Schumacher won 17 races, achieved 21
podiums, and notched ten pole positions. During this span of 31 grand's
prix, only once did he qualify worse than fourth position, at the 1995
Belgium Grand Prix, where he started 16th on the grid but still managed to
win the race!
Ferrari years
In 1996, Michael signed a contract with Ferrari, which at the time was a
highly risky move, given Ferrari's championship drought (the Italian-based
giants had not won a title since 1979). After several rebuilding years,
Schumacher helped Ferrari win the Constructors title in 1999. However, his
hopes for another Drivers' Championship were dashed at that year's British
Grand Prix, where broke his leg after his Ferrari's brakes failed causing
him to crash heavily. He was unable to compete for the next six races. But
Michael would re-claim personal glory once again in 2000, winning his third
Drivers' title (and Ferrari's first since Jody Scheckter in 1979).
During the next year (2001), while en route to his fourth drivers title, he
broke Alain Prost's record for most grand prix wins. In a dominant 2002, he
easily took his fifth Drivers' title (equaling the record set by Juan Manuel
Fangio) due to his driving talent and the sheer dominance of his Ferrari
machinery, which won 15 of the 17 races that season. In 2003, he broke
Fangio's record by winning the Drivers' title for the sixth time in a
closely-contested season (afterwards making front-page headlines in the
tabloid The Sun by trashing a hotel suite and madly piloting a forklift
around the paddock).
Schumacher started off the 2004 championship with typical domination,
winning a record twelve of the first thirteen races of the season. He
clinched the seventh drivers title of his unequalled F1 career where it all
began for him — at the Belgian Grand Prix. He would finish the season with a
record 148 points.
The 2005 season has been a struggle
for Schumacher, as he has only one victory (United States Grand Prix), which
he almost certainly would not have won without the withdrawal of 14 cars due
to Michelin's tire problems. After a sixth place finish at the British Grand
Prix, a downbeat Schumacher said that he and his Ferrari team are "going
backwards, not forwards." After the German Grand Prix Schumacher admitted,
"I don't think I can count myself in this battle [for the championship]
anymore."
Controversy
Since the 1994 death of Ayrton Senna, Schumacher has been widely regarded as
the fastest driver in F1 and the most dominant driver of his era. However
his career has at times been controversial, with some commentators
questioning his driving tactics and the apparent standing "team orders"
which would require his team mates to play a subservient role.
Driving tactics
For those who question his driving style the two most often quoted incidents
are the 1994 Australian Grand Prix crash with Damon Hill and the 1997
European Grand Prix crash with Jacques Villeneuve. In these cases it is
claimed he deliberately crashed with opponents in championship deciding
races.
In the 1994 Australian Grand Prix Schumacher was leading Damon Hill, but
just barely; if Hill had won the race, he would have won that year's World
Championship. During the race Schumacher made an error and ran wide, which
led to an overtaking maneuver by Hill. The succeeding events are subjective;
it is stated either that Schumacher honestly defended his position, but
collided due to a misjudgment, or that he saw a collision as the only way to
prevent Hill from overtaking him on the track and in the World Championship.
Both cars were removed from the race, which was eventually won by Nigel
Mansell, who was too far behind in the points to challenge Schumacher's
title lead. In this case it was judged a racing incident and Schumacher took
his first title.
During the 1997 European Grand Prix Schumacher was leading the race and was
followed by Villeneuve. In a similar situation to 1994 a win for either
driver would guarantee him the World Championship. Villeneuve attempted to
overtake Schumacher, who then collided with the Canadian in what the FIA
judged to be dangerous driving. Although Schumacher's car was knocked out of
the race, Villeneuve went on to finish third, behind Mika Hakkinen and David
Coulthard, who were too far behind in the points to challenge Villeneuve for
the Championship. Schumacher was stripped of his position in the World
Championship final standings (with Heinz-Harald Frentzen moving from third
to second), while retaining his results and points for the season.
Team orders
During Schumacher's reign of consecutive World Championships many fans were
put off by his dominance of F1 and there was particular attention paid to
how Schumacher and his Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello were "swapping
finishes" to engineer specific changes in the World Championship.
A good example of this was the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix where Ferrari
ordered Barrichello, who was leading the race, to move over for Schumacher
to take the win. This led to a poor reception on the podium where an
embarrassed Schumacher ushered Barrichello onto the top step. The result was
a ban on team orders and a $1 million fine for Ferrari. Nevertheless team
orders are at times practiced by many teams and can be executed discreetly
(e.g. a fuel hose which "will not" disconnect, an apparent driver error
etc).
It has also been argued that unlike some of the great drivers of the past,
Schumacher has not had much of a challenge from within the team. For much of
his career, the teams he raced for (but Ferrari in particular) have been
built around him, with his team-mate being forced to play a subservient
role.
In more recent years, however, his success with Ferrari, moderation of his
on-track tactics, and a more relaxed public persona have rehabilitated
Schumacher's image for most fans.
Personal
Schumacher married Corinna (née Betsch) in August 1995. They have two
children together, daughter Gina-Maria (b. 1997) and son Mick (b. 1999), and
they currently reside in Vufflens-le-Château, Switzerland, near Lake Geneva.
Michael is fiercely protective of his private life and takes every effort to
keep his family out of the spotlight. Michael's younger brother Ralf, six
years his junior, is also an F1 driver. Michael's off-track interests
include playing football (soccer) (actively in FC Aubonne), playing tennis,
swimming, and skiing. His nicknames are the "Red Baron", the "Rain Master",
"Schuey" and "Schumi".
In 2005, Schumacher donated more than 10m USD for charity to the 2004 Indian
Ocean Earthquake in a charity show on the German television network ZDF. It
was later announced that Schumacher's bodyguard, Burkhard Cramer, had died
while on holiday in Phuket, Thailand and that his two sons were still
missing.
F1 records
As of Brazilian Grand Prix (October 24, 2004)
* Most championship titles: 7
* Most consecutive titles: 5
* Most fastest laps: 66
* Most races led: 124
* Most laps led: 4625
* Most wins: 84
* Most Triples (pole position, win, and fastest lap): 19
* Most wins in a season: 13
* Most wins with the same team: 64 (Ferrari)
* Most wins from pole position: 37
* Most podiums: 137
* Most podiums in a season: 17
* Most podiums with the same team: 99 (Ferrari)
* Most poles with the same team: 54 (Ferrari)
* Most second places: 36
* Most championship points: 1,186
* Most points in a season: 148
* Most time between first and last wins (12 years, 1 month, 10 days)
Record to beat: Ayrton Senna's 65 pole positions (Schumacher currently has
64 poles).
In terms of percentages Schumacher still sits behind Juan Manuel Fangio and
Alberto Ascari. Fangio won 47% of the races he contested, Ascari won 41%. As
of the end of 2004 Schumacher has won 39% of his races. Fangio led 76.5% of
the laps he drove and led 78% of the races he started. Schumacher has led
39% of his laps and 59% of his races. It is also worth remembering that it
is easier for drivers to score points these days due to changes in the
scoring system.
Formula One career results
* 1991 — Jordan-Ford; Benetton-Ford — 0 wins, 4 points, finished 13th
* 1992 — Benetton-Ford — 1 win, 53 points, finished 3rd
* 1993 — Benetton-Ford — 1 win, 42 points, finished 4th
* 1994 — Benetton-Ford — 8 wins, 92 points, World Champion
* 1995 — Benetton-Renault — 9 wins, 102 points, World Champion
* 1996 — Ferrari — 3 wins, 59 points, finished 3rd
* 1997 — Ferrari — 5 wins, 78 points, disqualified (having finished 2nd)
* 1998 — Ferrari — 6 wins, 86 points, finished 2nd
* 1999 — Ferrari — 2 wins, 44 points, finished 5th
* 2000 — Ferrari — 9 wins, 108 points, World Champion
* 2001 — Ferrari — 9 wins, 123 points, World Champion
* 2002 — Ferrari — 11 wins, 144 points, World Champion
* 2003 — Ferrari — 6 wins, 93 points, World Champion
* 2004 — Ferrari — 13 wins, 148 points, World Champion
* 2005 — Ferrari — 1 win, 55 points (in progress)
Michael Schumacher Pictures
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