Michael Schumacher

1. Who is Michael Schumacher?

Michael Schumacher is a former German Formula 1 driver. He was born on January 3, 1969 in Kerpen (Germany) and is particularly known for his record seven Formula 1 world championship titles acquired between 1994 and 2004. He is also the father of Mick Schumacher.

Michael Schumacher in 2008 during the German Grand Prix © Gilles Levent / DPPI

2. Michael Schumacher’s junior career

Like any self-respecting future world champion, Michael Schumacher stands out in each promotional formula in which he participates: Formula König, German Formula 3, Macau Grand Prix. It is also in the Asian city-state that he meets one of his greatest adversaries, Mika Häkkinen.

Michael Schumacher also won several rounds of the World Sports Car Championship with the Mercedes Junior Team in Group C. However, he did not do better than fifth at the 24 1991 Hours of Le Mans. The doors to Formula 1 will open a few weeks later, for extra-sporting reasons…

Schumacher at the Macau Grand Prix in 1990 © DPPI

3. Michael Schumacher’s Grand Prix (F1) journey

Indeed, Eddie Jordan, the boss of the eponymous team, is urgently looking for a replacement for Bertrand Gachot, imprisoned in London for an attack on a taxi driver. The Irishman made contact with the young Michael Schumacher through his manager Willi Weber and Jochen Neerpasch, the head of young Mercedes drivers. Entered for the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher surprised the paddock with his seventh fastest time in practice, even though he was unfamiliar with the Spa-Francorchamps track.

Schumacher made his F1 debut in mid-1991 season during the Belgian Grand Prix © Gilles Levent /DPPI

Fifth at the first corner, he retired due to clutch failure. Flavio Briatore, head of Benetton, gets involved and snatches Michael Schumacher from Jordan for the end of the year. The hopeful easily took precedence over his experienced teammate Nelson Piquet and scored his first top 5. In 1992, the machine was launched. Not yet nicknamed “the Kaiser”, he knows the first emotions of the podium, of a front row, but above all, of a first victory, again in Belgium. The following year, he showed better consistency and achieved new success in Portugal. Fourth in the final ranking, he reached a milestone in 1994.

Following the death of Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher did not have an opponent of his caliber, before Damon Hill valiantly defended the interests of Williams. He snatched his first crown, at 25 years 10 months and 10 days, after a tense duel with the Englishman in Adelaide (Australia). The two men hung on and gave up, but Michael Schumacher won thanks to a greater number of points scored previously. It did it again in 1995, again with Benetton, but this time a Renault engine rather than Ford. Michael Schumacher flies over the competition and equals Nigel Mansell's record for the most victories in one year (9).

1995 Australian Grand Prix, Schumacher is on Benetton © DPPI

A man of challenge, Michael Schumacher agreed to join Ferrari, then in great difficulty, for 1996. Jean Todt completely restructured the Scuderia, but this season offered some notable moments for fans, including a rainy success in Barcelona (Spain). Third at the end of the year, Michael Schumacher wants to return to No. 1 in 1997. But the Williams-Jacques Villeneuve tandem stands before him. As in 1994, the fight, sometimes political and controversial, lasted until the final round. The Quebecer won despite a desperate attempt by Michael Schumacher, who remained stuck in the gravel of Jerez (Spain).

Great championship battle between Villeneuve and Schumacher during the 1997 season in Jérez © Thill / DPPI

The FIA ​​will disqualify the German driver for this maneuver. This time he had to endure the influence of McLaren and Mika Häkkinen in 1998 and 1999. Despite 11 podiums including six victories, a puncture took away his last hopes at Suzuka (Japan) in the first year, while a violent accident against the wall at Silverstone (Great Britain) breaks his legs. Resilient, Michael Schumacher returns to lend a hand to replacement leader Eddie Irvine at the end of the campaign. His consecration with the Reds did indeed come in 2000. Despite four retirements in five races, he finished like a cannonball by winning the last four events.

This is the beginning of unchallenged domination: five consecutive coronations until 2004, even if “The Red Baron” must work to resist the new generation embodied by Kimi Räikkönen and Juan Pablo Montoya in 2003. However, it is another youngster who will dethrone him, in this case Fernando Alonso. Back in favor in 2006 and the first year of the V8s, Michael Schumacher fought to the end for a hypothetical eighth title but he broke his engine at Suzuka. At Monza, Michael Schumacher announces his retirement, and leaves his place to Kimi Räikkönen.

Michael Schumacher with Ferrari during the 2003 United States Grand Prix © Gilles Levent / DPPI

But the passion for circuits is stronger. An amateur biker, private test driver for Ferrari, he tried in vain to replace Felipe Massa with a head injury in August 2009. His comeback materialized, in a wink of fate, with Mercedes in 2010. Aged over 40 years old, Michael Schumacher is no longer the boss of sport, but is still capable of some brilliant strokes during his final season (2012), such as a podium in Valencia (Spain) or a pole in Monaco, which will be withdrawn after the application of a penalty (accident with Bruno Senna in the previous race).

Michael Schumacher returns to Formula 1 with Mercedes, Sao Paulo Grand Prix 2013 © Eric Vargiolu / DPPI

Aware of his limits, Michael Schumacher definitely takes a step back and leaves his seat to Lewis Hamilton. A year later, on December 29, 2013, he suffered a skiing accident near Méribel. His life prognosis is in jeopardy due to serious head injuries (head trauma) as a result of this skiing accident. Taken into care, hospitalized then transferred to his home in Switzerland, his state of health remains the subject of numerous rumors today; official information being disseminated in dribs and drabs.

In 2013, Michael Schumacher had a serious skiing accident in a French resort © DPPI

An eponymous documentary was released about him in 2021, in which his career is retraced with the testimonies of his son Mick Schumacher and his wife Corinna Betsch, now Schumacher. The Schumacher surname and the legend of Michael are still on the agenda in Formula 1 thanks to Mick Schumacher, his son who made his debut in Formula 1 in 2021 with the Haas team, after winning the title of champion of Formula 2.

4. AUTOhebdo's opinion on Michael Schumacher

Even more than a seven-time world champion, Michael Schumacher is a legend, nothing more, nothing less. If Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna understood the importance of physical and mental training, the German Michael Schumacher took these concerns to another level. Endowed with rare intelligence, “Schumi” left nothing to chance.

With Ferrari, he formed a winning duo with Jean Todt, taking advantage of unlimited private testing to create a relationship of trust with Bridgestone to shape However, his bloodshed or even unsporting maneuvers behind the wheel (Jerez 1997, Monaco 2006, Hungaroring 2010 ) have made him a character criticized by certain adversaries.