Michael Schumacher

Racecar Driver

• Born: January 3, 1969
• Place of Birth: Hürth-Hermülheim, West Germany (now in Germany)

SPORT: Auto racing

Early Life

Michael Schumacher was born to a middle-class family in Hürth-Hermülheim, West Germany (now in Germany), on January 3, 1969. His father, Rolf, unintentionally started Schumacher on his career path when he added a motor to his son's pedal car. After Schumacher crashed into a light pole, his father decided he should drive on a track, so he became a member of the local go-kart club at the age of four.

At first, Schumacher go-karted just for fun, but as his love of racing and skills developed, the hobby became more serious. By 1984, he became the German junior champion at fifteen. He was champion again the next year and finished second in the World Junior Karting Championships at Le Mans, France. In 1987, he dominated the German Karting Championships and also won the European Karting Championships.

The Road to Excellence

In 1988, Schumacher jumped to racing Formula König cars, which were considered the first level in single-seaters. He won nine of the ten races he entered in his first year. At the same time, he finished second in a series for the faster Formula Ford cars. His dazzling performance brought him to the attention of Willi Weber, who immediately signed Schumacher to drive his Formula Three car. Weber became his manager, guiding his career for the next ten years. Schumacher began to think that his hobby could become a profession.

In 1990, his second year in Formula Three, Schumacher won the championship, and Weber moved him into the next phase of his career. He was placed on the Mercedes Group C sports car team. This became the final course in Schumacher's professional racing education.

In the summer of 1991, the Jordan Formula One team needed a substitute driver for the Belgian Grand Prix. Weber arranged for Schumacher to fill the role, and Schumacher surprised observers by qualifying seventh on one of Formula One's most challenging tracks. He withdrew with mechanical problems in the race on the first lap, but he was already recognized as a future star.

The Emerging Champion

Almost immediately, Schumacher was embroiled in a Formula One controversy. The Jordan team and the Benetton team, for whom he had also driven, argued over his contract. Characteristically, Schumacher ignored the legal arguments and the interpersonal politics and concentrated on his driving; Benetton eventually won his contract.

Just one year after his debut, Schumacher got his first win at the Belgian Grand Prix and placed third in the championship for 1992. In 1993, he finished fourth, behind Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, and Damon Hill. A verbal feud developed the previous year between Schumacher and three-time world champion Senna continued, demonstrating Schumacher's confidence and growing skill in the psychological games often played among rival drivers.

In 1994, Schumacher and Formula One had a tumultuous year. At the Grand Prix of San Marino, rookie Roland Ratzenberger was killed in a crash during a qualifying race. The next day, Senna also crashed and was killed in the early laps. Schumacher went on to win the race, not knowing until after the finish that Senna had died. After several days of serious thinking, Schumacher decided that racing was important enough to him to continue, and he won his next race, at Monaco. He also assumed leadership of the Formula One Racing Drivers Association and campaigned for greater safety measures.

Schumacher's difficult season continued as he was disqualified from four races for technical reasons. A war of words raged in the press between Schumacher and Hill, a new rival. The championship came down to the last race in Australia. Though Schumacher collided with Hill in what many thought was a deliberate crash, he won the race and became world champion by one point. In 1995, he equaled Nigel Mansell's record of nine wins in one season and took the championship again, becoming the youngest-ever two-time champion.

Continuing the Story

At the age of twenty-six, Schumacher had reached the top of his sport and challenged himself by moving to another team. He accepted an offer of $25 million a year from the famous Ferrari team and became one of the highest-paid athletes in the world. Ferrari had not won a championship since 1979 and hoped Schumacher's skill and leadership would return the team to the forefront. In 1996, Schumacher battled Hill and newcomer Jacques Villeneuve to give Ferrari a third-place finish. The following year Schumacher was contending for the championship, with five wins, when he crashed into leader Villeneuve in the final race. Schumacher's aggressive style had failed him. The Formula One governing board ruled the crash deliberate and stripped Schumacher of his points for the year, taking away his second place in the world championship.

In 1998, Schumacher rebounded and finished second again, behind the superior McLaren car of Mika Häkkinen. At the 1999 British Grand Prix, a brake failure in Schumacher's car sent him into the tire barrier and then to the hospital with a broken leg. He was out for seven races but returned to finish second at the race in Malaysia.

In 2000, Schumacher won five of eight races, then allowed Häkkinen to pass him in the standings. However, Häkkinen, was among the first to congratulate Schumacher when, at Suzuka, Japan, he won his third world championship. The Ferrari team had won for the first time in twenty-one years. With three world titles, Schumacher joined five other drivers on Formula One's all-time career list.

The 2000 championship began Schumacher's dominance; he and the Ferrari team continued to lead the sport. The 2001 season began with a forceful display of Ferrari power, as Schumacher won the season's first race at Melbourne, Australia. He won eight more races and took his fourth world championship title. With these wins, he equaled the fifty-one Grand Prix victory record set by Prost.

In 2002, Schumacher continued to surpass the competition on the Formula One circuit. He improved upon his previous season's win total by taking first place on the podium in eleven races, setting a new record for most victories in a season. He earned the world championship for the fifth time, equaling the record set by Juan Manuel Fangio. In 2003, the tournament was decided at the final race of the season in Japan. Schumacher's victory made him the only six-time world champion in the sport's history.

In 2004, Schumacher dominated again, storming his way to his seventh driver's championship and thirteen victories, only failing to finish in the points twice in the season. He appeared unbeatable. However, because of Federation Internationale de l'Automobile rule changes and Michelin's tire improvements, Schumacher's competition was able to chase him down the following season. In 2006, Schumacher came close to winning another championship, but an engine failure at the Suzuka track ended his hopes, as Ferenando Alonso and the Renault team triumphed.

Schumacher announced his retirement from racing at the end of the 2006 season. He was away from the sport for three years but eventually returned in 2010, this time with Mercedes. However, after three disappointing seasons of failing to make it to the podium and expressions of doubt as to whether he wanted to continue in Formula One, he announced his second retirement in the fall of 2012.

The following year, Schumacher suffered a life-threatening skiing accident while on vacation that had left him in a medically induced coma. After nearly six months, he was gradually brought out of the coma in June 2014. Media reports suggested that he was communicating with his family but that he also faced a long recovery process. He was eventually moved back home with specialized care. As of 2016, little more was known about his condition as an exhibition celebrating his career was held in Germany. Reports surfaced that Schumacher was paralyzed, in a wheelchair, and had serious issues with memory recall. The news could not be independently verified as Schumacher's family had curtailed all interactions with the press and strictly guarded his privacy. In 2024, published reports stated that Schumacher required 24-hour care at his home. He continued with rehabilitation activities but maintained his interest in Formula One.

Summary

Michael Schumacher earned his racing reputation with hard work, determination, and natural skill. He amazed the Formula One world at a young age with his talent and maturity. His self-confidence, which bordered on arrogance and aggressive style, landed him in trouble more than once, but no one could deny his skill as a racer. He earned his seven world championship titles and his reputation as the best driver of his generation. His record was incomparable: 7 world championships, 91 victories, 154 podium finishes, 68 pole positions, and 76 fastest laps in sixteen seasons.

Bibliography

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Allsop, Derek. Michael Schumacher: Formula for Success. Osceola, Motorbooks Intl., 1996.

Collings, Timothy. Schumacher: The Life and Times of the New Formula One Champion. Osceola, Motorbooks Intl., 1996.

Domenjoz, Luc, and David Waldron. Michael Schumacher: Rise of a Genius. Bath, Parragon, 2002.

Johnson, Daniel. "Michael Schumacher News: A Year after Coming out of Coma There Have Been Precious Few Signs of Progress." The Telegraph, 5 Sept. 2015, www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/michael-schumacher/11677867/Michael-Schumacher-news-A-year-after-coming-out-of-coma-there-have-been-precious-signs-of-progress.html. Accessed 23 June 2024.

Mee, Lydia. "Michael Schumacher: Latest Update Given on Recovery a Decade after Tragic Accident." Sports Illustrated, 28 Dec. 2023, www.si.com/fannation/racing/f1briefings/news/michael-schumacher-latest-update-given-on-recovery-a-decade-after-tragic-accident-lm22. Accessed 23 June 2024.

Mee, Lydia. "Michael Schumacher's Ongoing Treatment Reported As Staggering Expense." Sports Illustrated, 30 May 2024, www.si.com/fannation/racing/f1briefings/news/michael-schumacher-s-ongoing-treatment-reported-as-staggering-expense-01hz4gcnesww-lm22. Accessed 23 June 2024.

Sparling, Ken. Michael Schumacher. Willowdale, Firefly, 1999.