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Michael Schumacher (pronounced /mɪçaeːl ʃumaxɐ (help·info)/,
(nicknamed Schumi / Schu in German) born January 3, 1969, in Hürth Hermülheim,
near Cologne) is a German Formula One driver and seven-time Formula One world
champion. Statistically, he is the most successful Formula One driver ever,
holding many Formula One records, including those for most drivers'
championships, race victories, fastest laps, pole positions, and most races won
in a single season. Schumacher is the only German to have won the drivers'
championship. According to EuroBusiness magazine [[1]], he is the world's first
billionaire athlete, tens of millions of which he has donated to humanitarian
causes. He announced his retirement as a driver on September 10, 2006, and will
be replaced at Ferrari by Kimi Räikkönen for the 2007 season.[1]
Schumacher has attracted not only accolades, but
also controversy during his long career. Some of his rivals have accused him of
being excessively ruthless and unsportsmanlike on the track. These accusations
have rarely been supported by the FIA, and some people just consider them little
more than sour grapes in a sport that has become more and more competitive.
However, he was in fact stripped of his second place in the 1997 championship
after he was judged to have deliberately driven into title rival Jacques
Villeneuve at the final race of the season.
He has been noted throughout his career for his
ability to produce fast laps at crucial moments in a race and for his abilities
on wet racetracks, earning him the title "Regenkönig" (rain king) or "Regenmeister"
(rain master)[2]. As the senior driver in the Formula One world championship,
Schumacher has continued to win races up to and including the 2006 season,
having won at least one race every season since his first victory in 1992.
Michael Schumacher has also become a committed
spokesman for road safety, most recently in support of the Make Roads Safe
campaign. At the end of 2006, Ferrari will define Schumacher's new position
within the reorganised Ferrari team, following his retirement as a race driver.
[3]
****
F1 Record
Nationality German
Car # 5
Current team Ferrari
Team for 2007 —
Grands Prix 247
World Championships 7 (1994, 1995, 2000, 2001,
2002, 2003, 2004)
Wins 90
Podium finishes 153
Pole positions 68
Fastest laps 75
First Grand Prix 1991 Belgian Grand Prix
Last Grand Prix
First win 1992 Belgian Grand Prix
Last win -
2006 Championship position 2nd (106 pts
****
Early years
Schumacher began kart racing at the age of four and
a half. He used a homemade kart built by his father, Rolf, who managed the local
karting track in Kerpen, Schumacher's home town. He obtained his first license
and began racing competitively by the age of twelve. Between 1984 and 1987,
Schumacher won numerous German and European kart championships, including the
Formula Konig Series. 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. In 1991, he continued his ascent up the racing ladder, joining
the Mercedes junior racing programme 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.
Formula One debut
Schumacher made his Formula One debut with the
Jordan-Ford team at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix as a replacement driver for the
imprisoned Bertrand Gachot (incarcerated for spraying CS gas in a London
taxi-driver's face). Schumacher was signed by Eddie Jordan after he was greatly
impressed at a Silverstone test the previous week, and Schumacher assured Jordan
that he had vast experience at the challenging Spa circuit, despite the fact
that he had only been around the track once —- on a borrowed bicycle. Schumacher
impressed the paddock by qualifying seventh in his first competition in an F1
vehicle, matching the team's season-best grid position, and out-qualifying his
seasoned team mate, Andrea de Cesaris, an 11-year veteran. He retired on the
first lap of the race with clutch problems.[4]
Benetton years
1991-1993
After his impressive debut, he was quickly signed
by Benetton-Ford for the next race, and immediately showed great potential. This
move angered Jordan who believed Benetton had "stolen" his driver from a binding
contract.
Schumacher became known as an up-and-coming driver
in F1 as he claimed his maiden victory in the Belgian Grand Prix with Benetton
Ford. In 1992 he finished third ahead of three-time world champion, Ayrton Senna
in the final standings.
1993 was a year of great expectations for Benetton
and Schumacher. The German won one race at the Portuguese Grand Prix, but was
not able to challenge for the World Title as the Benetton machine was not fully
competitive with the technically advanced Williams. The year was once again
dominated by Williams and only Senna, in a largely inferior McLaren, was able to
challenge Alain Prost, who had at his disposal the strongest package in terms of
engine, chassis and especially electronics.
1994
Schumacher won his first World Championship in 1994
while driving for Benetton, in an extremely 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. The raw speed of the Benetton was a surprise to the
other teams, who levelled allegations of cheating. They claimed Benetton had
found a way to violate the FIA-imposed ban on electronic aids, including
Traction Control and Launch Control. On investigation, the FIA discovered
illegal software on their car (and the cars of several rival teams), but could
not prove that it had been used.
After Senna's death, Damon Hill inherited the
responsibility of fighting for the championship. Hill struggled to keep pace
with the Benetton in his Williams-Renault, but due to several mid-season
controversial disqualifications and bans for Schumacher, he began to close the
gap in the standings. In the British Grand Prix, Schumacher was penalized for
overtaking on the formation lap [5]. 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. Things took a turn for the worse at Spa, where Schumacher
was disqualified after winning the race, after his car was found to have illegal
wear on its skidblock.[6]
Leading by a single point going into the final race
in Australia, Schumacher clinched the title after colliding with Hill in a
highly controversial incident, taking both drivers out (see below).
1995
In 1995, Schumacher stayed with Benetton, which had
switched to Renault engines. He successfully defended his title, accumulating 33
more points than second-placed Damon Hill. With team-mate Johnny Herbert, he
took Benetton to its first Constructors' Championship. He became the youngest
double world champion in F1 history.
During these two championship seasons, Schumacher's
dominance of Formula One was such that he won 17 out of the 31 races and
finished on the podium 21 times. Only once did he qualify worse than fourth,
which was at the 1995 Belgian Grand Prix, where he qualified 16th, but went on
to win the race [7].
Ferrari years
In 1996, Schumacher signed a contract with Ferrari,
which at the time was a highly risky move, given Ferrari's championship drought
(the Italian giants had not won a title since 1979).
1996-1999
In his first year at Ferrari Schumacher finished
third in the Drivers' Championship, behind the two Williams drivers, Jacques
Villeneuve and Damon Hill. He won races in Spain, Belgium and Italy, the first
one in the wet. The worst moment of his season was arguably France, in which he
qualified on pole position but suffered an engine failure on the formation lap.
In 1997, he again took the title fight down to the
last race, narrowly leading the points for the Drivers' Championship title.
Schumacher uncompromisingly crashed into Villeneuve's Williams Renault after
Villeneuve attempted to overtake Schumacher, when the German left the door open
under braking into the right-hand 'Dry Sac' hairpin curve at the end of the
back-straight of the Jerez circuit. Schumacher ended up on the gravel and out of
the race. Villeneuve's badly damaged Williams eventually finished third in the
race, thereby winning the Drivers Championship title that year. In a
controversial decision by the FIA, Schumacher was disqualified from the World
Championship final classification that year, but his results and points were
nevertheless kept in the official records.
In 1998, there were tire rule changes in Formula 1
which seemed to favour tire manufacturer Bridgestone over rival manufacturer
Goodyear. Early into the season, it was evident that McLaren, who chose to
compete with Bridgestone tires that year, had the better car. It was then left
to Schumacher to challenge the McLaren domination and the fight for the title
continued well into the last race. Schumacher had won six races that year, the
most memorable of which was in Hungary, where he pitted three times and had to
do a whole stint lapping the circuit at qualifying speed, more than a second
faster than anyone else to catch up with the McLaren. He also set the record of
being the only driver to win a race from the pit lane which he did in the
British Grand Prix. Despite the inferiority of the Ferrari, Schumacher pushed
hard all the way until the final race in Japan where, after having secured the
pole position, he subsequently stalled his Ferrari on the starting grid and had
to restart from the back of the grid. He eventually regained lost ground, only
to retire some laps later due to a punctured tire, thereby yielding the title to
Mika Häkkinen. Some fans argue that it was not only bad luck that prevented
Schumacher from winning the 1998 Drivers' Championship, but also because of
Häkkinen's team mate, David Coulthard, whose collision with Schumacher in
Belgium, while a lap behind Schumacher, caused the German to retire and lose
vital Championship points. This incident caused a great deal of controversy with
Schumacher storming into the McLaren garage after retiring and allegedly
accusing Coulthard of trying to kill him. This drew criticism, not least because
Schumacher had been involved in several other controversial collisions in
previous years.
After several rebuilding years, Schumacher's
efforts 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 he broke his leg. A rear brake failure[8] caused him to exit the track on
the first lap of the race while facing the high-speed, right-hand 'Stowe'
corner, and he crashed heavily into a tire barrier. This accident prevented
Schumacher from competing in the next six races. After his return, he assumed
the role of a second driver, yielding to his team mate, Eddie Irvine, in order
to help his team win a Drivers' Championship title. However, they were once
again beaten by Mika Häkkinen in the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
2000
In 2000 Schumacher won his third World Championship
and more significantly, Ferrari's first since Jody Scheckter in 1979, after a
hard-fought year-long battle with Mika Häkkinen. A few races into the 2000
season, Schumacher changed his helmet colours from a white base with a blue top
and German flag, to a red base with a red top and German flag. The design and
pattern remained the same. This was to avoid confusion between himself and his
new team-mate, Rubens Barichello, who had a similar white and blue helmet.
Schumacher won the first 3 races of the season, and
5 of the first 8. Midway through the year, he experienced a run of bad luck,
which included being hit from behind at the first corner in two consecutive
races. This allowed Häkkinen to overtake Schumacher in the championship
standings, but a resounding win at the Italian Grand Prix brought him back on
track.
The immense pressure of fighting for the world
title showed, when at the post-race press conference at the end of the Italian
Grand Prix, Schumacher broke into tears when asked about his feelings on
equalling 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 Häkkinen
early in the race, but a combination of strong mid-race pace and excellent
Ferrari pit-work ensured that he came out ahead of Häkkinen after his second
pit-stop and went on to win the race and the Championship.
2001
Schumacher took his fourth drivers' title in a
season that lacked the championship drama that had defined the previous four
seasons. David Coulthard, Ralf Schumacher (Michael's younger brother), Mika
Häkkinen, and rookie Juan Montoya all won races, but none was able to sustain 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.
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 several on-track battles for the lead with
Montoya. At the Belgian Grand Prix Schumacher scored his 52nd career win, thus
breaking Alain Prost's record for most career wins.
2002
In a dominant year, Schumacher took his fifth
Drivers' title (equalling the record set by Juan Manuel Fangio). Ferrari won 15
out of 17 races and Schumacher wrapped up the title with six races remaining in
the season. Schumacher also broke Nigel Mansell's and his own record of 9 race
wins for most victories in a season, scoring 11 and finishing every race on the
podium.
Again, just Williams' Ralf Schumacher and McLaren
Mercedes' Coulthard could take something from Ferrari. Montoya remained someone
to battle with, finishing third behind the two Ferraris.
2003
Schumacher broke Fangio's record by winning the
Drivers' title for the sixth time in a closely contested season.
The biggest threats once again came from the
McLaren Mercedes and BMW Williams F1 teams. His brother Ralf and Juan Pablo
Montoya, became regular race contenders and scored some victories. Montoya and
Raikkonen became title challengers, but Ferrari reacted from the Italian Grand
Prix onwards and gained two more decisive wins. After Montoya was penalized in
the US GP he was out of the title contention; leaving the title fight between
Kimi Räikkönen and Schumacher. Räikkönen performed strongly and consistently all
year, in an inferior car, benefitting from the newest points system and giving
Schumacher a challenge all the way to the final round. Schumacher took his hotly
contested sixth World Driving Title, barely clinching it at the final round in
Suzuka, finishing a mere two points ahead of his rival, although Raikkonen had
just a single victory to his credit compared to Schumacher's six.
2004
Schumacher won a record twelve of the first
thirteen races of the season, only failing to finish in Monaco after a
controversial accident with Juan Pablo Montoya under the safety car period. He
clinched a record seventh drivers' title at the Belgian Grand Prix. Bridgestone
had been the key as the tire was superior to Michelin over the season. He would
finish this season with a record 148 points, and a new record of 13 race wins
out of 18 that season, surpassing the previous best of 11, which he had scored
in the 2002 Formula One season.
2005
The 2005 season was a struggle for Schumacher, as
the Ferrari package was far from ideal, especially in the use of its Bridgestone
tires, which had been dominant in past years but were now of inferior quality.
Ferrari and Bridgestone attributed this to the 2005 rule changes, which required
tires to last the distance of the whole race, a change some observers believe
was targeted to end the domination of Ferrari and Schumacher. [citation needed]
Less than half-way through the season, the German
admitted he didn't have the potential to defend his title. In an interview he
said "It's hard to put up a fight when you don't have the same weapons".
Despite this, Schumacher had some moments, most
notably his fight with Fernando Alonso in the San Marino GP and a pole in
Hungary.
Ultimately and most importantly he finished third
in the World Championship standings, barely ahead of McLaren's Juan Pablo
Montoya. His points total included the 10 points from his only victory of the
season, the United States Grand Prix, which was only contested by 6 cars due to
Michelin tire problems.
There were many on-track problems for the German,
including collisions with Mark Webber (Turkish GP), Nick Heidfeld (Australian
GP), Takuma Sato (Belgian GP) and Christijan Albers (Chinese GP).
2006
Schumacher started 2006 well, narrowly edging out
new Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa to take pole position at the first grand prix
in Bahrain. Doing so, he equaled Ayrton Senna's record of 65 pole positions that
had stood for 12 years after Senna's death. He went on to finish second, behind
the Renault of reigning drivers' champion Fernando Alonso, making it his first
podium finish in seven races, the last being a second place at the 2005
Hungarian Grand Prix.
Ferrari's engine troubles resulted in an engine
change for Schumacher before qualifying for the Malaysian Grand Prix, demoting
him to 14th on the starting grid. He finished the race in 6th, just behind
team-mate Felipe Massa. He qualified 11th in changing weather conditions at the
Australian Grand Prix. Mid-way through the race, while chasing Jenson Button for
5th place, Schumacher ran wide on the exit of the final corner, hitting a large
bump while trying to pull the car back to the circuit and launching the car into
the wall, ending his race.
At the San Marino Grand Prix, Schumacher took his
66th pole position, breaking Senna's record of 65. In a reverse situation from
last year, he held off an intense challenge from Fernando Alonso for more than
30 laps and two pit-stops, despite struggling with a "bad set" of tyres in the
middle stages of the race, to win the race. Barring the boycott marred 2005
United States Grand Prix, this was his first win since the 2004 Japanese Grand
Prix, 18 months earlier. With this win, Schumacher tied his own record with his
7th win at the same track, the other ones being Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in
Montreal and Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in Magny-Cours.
Schumacher's strong form continued at the European
Grand Prix, where he beat Alonso in a closely contested battle, putting in a
series of fast laps before his second pit-stop to emerge in front of Alonso. The
Spanish Grand Prix, was rather different for Schumacher, as he finished second,
some 18 seconds behind eventual home race winner Fernando Alonso. Schumacher has
commented that this is a "blip".
In the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix, although Schumacher
took pole position with Fernando Alonso 0.064 seconds behind him, there was
uproar in the paddock after the end of qualifying, after he stopped his car at
the Rascasse hairpin causing an obstruction for his rivals who were trying to
set a faster time. Alonso failed to set a faster lap time than Schumacher's
best. After interviewing Schumacher and Ferrari personnel, and reviewing
evidence and data provided by the FIA and Ferrari, the race stewards stripped
Schumacher of all of his qualifying times after deciding he had deliberately
stopped his car to disadvantage his competitors.[9] The stewards said
Schumacher's actions breached Article 112 of the FIA sporting regulations and
that therefore their ruling was final and would not be subject to appeal.[10]
Ferrari's director Jean Todt strongly disputed the decision, claiming that "with
no real evidence, the stewards have assumed he is guilty."[11].
During the race itself, Schumacher persevered
through the penalty and battled back from the 22nd spot, passing 5 cars on the
opening laps, moving him to 17th. By lap 12 he aggressively passed Jenson Button
into the Nouvelle chicane for 15th and made up several spots with the fastest
laps during the crucial pit-window stages. He finished fifth after further
retirements of cars in front of him.
At the British Grand Prix he salvaged second by
passing Kimi Räikkönen after the second round of stops after being trapped
behind the Finn for most of the race. The Canadian Grand Prix was much of the
same for Schumacher as he was stuck behind Jarno Trulli at the start of the
race. He passed Trulli at the final chicane before he made his first stop and
snatched second from Kimi Räikkönen when the Finn ran wide at the hairpin with
two laps to go. After qualifying on Pole position for the US Grand Prix,
Schumacher was passed by team-mate Felipe Massa at the first corner but by lap
30 was back in front, going on to win the race. After his win, he is the only
racing driver ever, in any racing class, to win five times on the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway.
After winning the French GP on July 16th, 2006,
Michael Schumacher became the only driver in history to win the same Grand Prix
eight times. Schumacher then proceeded to win the German GP, a result that gave
him a hat-trick of wins following those of France and America. With championship
rival Fernando Alonso finishing the race 5th, Schumacher reduced the gap between
the two to 11 points with 6 races remaining. Schumacher is now only three wins
short of the combined total of wins of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna.
The practice sessions of the Hungarian GP brought a
lot of controversy. Fernando Alonso was penalised for two incidents in the
second free practice, receiving a two second penalty in every qualifying round.
Schumacher, who could have used the opportunity to reduce Alonso's lead further,
also suffered a two second penalty for overtaking two cars, one of them being
Alonso, during a red flag situation. Schumacher qualified in 11th position,
while Alonso qualified 15th on the grid. This was the first time in its 20 year
history that the Hungarian GP was rain soaked and set the stage for the most
exciting race of the year. Schumacher and Alonso were extremely fast and
aggressive from the start, pulling up to fifth and seventh after the opening
lap. However, it was clear that the Bridgestone tyres were far inferior to the
Michelin tires in wet conditions, and Schumacher slowly drifted backwards to 8th
place, and was lapped by Alonso until a safety car incident allowed him to
regain the lap. As the track dried, Schumacher began setting the fastest laps of
the race and began to regain positions from Michelin cars which were slower in
dry conditions. He retired only 2 laps from home after colliding with Nick
Heidfeld. This was failed chance to make up a huge deficit in the points, to
points leader, Alonso, who had retired earlier with a broken drive-shaft whilst
leading. He was classified 9th but was soon promoted to 8th following Robert
Kubica's disqualification.
At the Turkish Grand Prix Ferrari looked very
strong against the opposition and they even set the fastest time through Michael
Schumacher in the third practice session in the Saturday morning. For the three
15 minute qualifying sessions Schumacher was the fastest for the first two
sessions under a light fuel load. However, at the start of his hot laps in the
third session Schumacher made a mistake by out braking himself down into the
first corner. At the end of the final session Schumacher qualified second just
behind his team mate Felipe Massa for Massa's first pole of the season and, more
importantly he qualified in front of Fernando Alonso who qualified third without
the controversial mass dampers in his Renault. At the start he nearly made
contact with Fernando Alonso but managed to hold him off and was comfortably
ahead of him until Liuzzi from Scuderia Toro Rosso had a spin off at the first
corner and the safety car had to come out to assist the marshals as the car was
on the racing line. This bunched up the pack again and because Felipe Massa was
leading Schumacher had to come into the pits and wait 6 seconds for Massa to
make his stop while Alonso was able to pit and leave. However, Schumacher was
slower in the second phase of the race and could not maintain pace with Alonso.
He started lapping more quickly in the latter stages of race and closed Alonso
down but was unable to pass. Felipe Massa won by 6 seconds with Schumacher less
than a tenth of a second behind Alonso in second.
Immediately after beating Kimi Räikkönen to win the
Italian Grand Prix in Monza, on September 10, 2006, Schumacher announced that he
would retire at the end of the 2006 season, ending the career of the most
statistically successful driver in history. His seat at Ferrari will be taken
over by current McLaren driver Kimi Räikkönen.
However, in the press release stating his
retirement, it also mentioned that Schumacher would stay on as part of Ferrari,
but it did not state his role.
Complete Formula One results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole
position)
* Denotes present season standing.
** Schumacher was excluded due to dangerous driving
in the European GP, causing an avoidable collision with Villeneuve. [12]
Formula One records
As of the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, Michael
Schumacher holds the following F1 records:
Career Records:
Most championship titles: 7
Most consecutive championship titles: 5
Most race wins: 90
Most consecutive race wins: 7 (in 2004 - European
GP, Canadian GP, United States GP, French GP, British GP, German GP, Hungarian
GP) This record is shared with Ascari, which won the last 6 races of 1952 and
the first one of 1953. The following race was the Indianapolis 500, in which he
did not participate. Afterwards he won other two races, but since the Indy 500
was officially part of the F1 World Championship, his winning streak was already
over.
Most race wins with one team: 71 with Ferrari
Most race wins at the same GP: 8 at the French
Grand Prix (Magny-Cours)
Most time between first and last race wins: 14
years, and 12 days
Most second place finishes: 43
Most podium finishes: 153
Most consecutive podium finishes: 19 (from the 2001
United States Grand Prix, until the 2002 Japanese Grand Prix)
Most points finishes: 188
Most laps leading: 4726 (with a total of 22,072.693
km in 130 Grands Prix)
Most pole positions: 68
Most starts from first row: 108
Most fastest laps: 75
Most doubles (pole position and race win): 40
Most hat-trick (pole position, race win and fastest
lap): 22
Most championship points: 1,354
Most consecutive race finished without retirement:
24 (from the 2001 Hungarian Grand Prix, until the 2003 Malaysian Grand Prix)
Only racing driver ever, in any racing class, to
win 5 times at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Only racing driver ever, in any racing class, to
win 5 times at Autodromo Nazionale Monza
2004:
Most race wins in a season: 13 (out of 18 races)
Most fastest laps in a season: 10 (out of 18 races;
tied by Räikkönen in 2005)
Most championship points in a season: 148 (out of a
maximum of 180)
2002:
Most podium finishes in a season: 17 (out of 17
races)
The one major record Schumacher is set to miss out
on is the record for most Grands Prix competed in. His final race will be his
250th so he will finish 6 short of Riccardo Patrese's record of 256.
Retirement
While Schumacher was still on the podium after his
win at 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 personally
confirmed his retirement in a very emotional statement during the post-race
press conference, which is posted below. The press release also stated that
Schumacher would continue working for Ferrari in some capacity after his
official retirement as a racing driver, and full details of this will be made
clear by the end of 2006. The team also announced that Kimi Räikkönen will
replace him at Scuderia Ferrari.[13]
Responses to Schumacher's retirement
Following the announcement of his retirement, many
people in Formula One have responded to his decision and the impact it will have
on Formula One.[14]
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo[15]:
"I always said that the decision to retire would be
his alone but now that decision has been taken I feel a sense of sadness. We
have lived through some unforgettable times together, some good and some bad,
achieving results that will be hard to equal."
Ferrari team boss Jean Todt[15]:
"Michael has been the author of a unique chapter in
the history of Formula 1 and of Ferrari in particular. It has yet to reach its
conclusion and what he has achieved extends over and above the results obtained.
He is an exceptional man and will become a legend as a driver."
Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn[16]:
"Everybody will miss Michael, whoever they are. It
is a big event for everyone. I think someone of his ability, someone of his
experience, and someone of his involvement will be very badly missed. But F1
goes on, Ferrari goes on."
Ferrari chief designer Rory Byrne, who designed all
of Schumacher's championship winning cars:
"He will be missed as a friend and colleague and as
the ultimate professional. It's the end of Michael's career in Formula One so in
that sense, it is the end of an era. When you look at his record, that's going
to be difficult to beat."
Formule One Driver and brother Ralf Schumacher:
"I am sure he has thought long and hard about his
decision and I respect it. I've enjoyed racing with him and I wish him all the
best both for the championship and the future."
Three-times Formula One world champion Niki
Lauda[17]:
"If the best guy in the world retires it is
certainly a sad day. You can say whatever you want, he won seven world
championships and he might win another one. There is nobody like him in the
world, he is unique. It's sad that he retires. But I know you have to retire one
day and I respect that."
Formula One Boss Bernie Ecclestone[16]:
"People have said to me that F1 is boring because
he wins everything. So presumably when he's not here, people will be happy. But
we'll miss him, because he is a superstar."
FIA president Max Mosley[16]:
"Any top driver when he leaves will be missed.
Michael's probably the furthest up the scale of anyone because he's got an
unbeaten record. It won't damage F1 in any way but I think all of us who follow
it will miss him clearly because he is an exceptional driver."
Formula One world champion and ex-rival Damon Hill:
"It's a brave decision to stop doing something he
loves. We sort of know how he'll be remembered but over time his successes will
mark an era when his dedication to winning gave the championship colour. I think
he'll be doubly motivated to win the championship. He's certainly capable of
winning races. I think it's hard to give that up. I think he's doing the right
thing for himself."
Formula One world champion and rival Fernando
Alonso[16][18]:
"I think we lose and we will miss a great champion
on the track. He beat all the records so he has the best numbers in Formula One
but I think maybe F1 will focus more on sport after that."
Former Ferrari Formula One driver Gerhard
Berger[16]:
"It is a pity for F1 to lose such a great champion,
but the time to stop comes to everyone."
Former Formula One driver and two time Champ Car
champion Alex Zanardi[16]:
"He has everything to lose and nothing to gain, so
it's very logical and sensible to retire while he's on top of his game, but
knowing Michael, everything he has been able to do, I think he would still have
the energy to continue."
Formula One Driver David Coulthard:
"Winning at Monza was a fitting way to announce his
departure. Irrespective of whether people are believers in Michael's race ethics
or not, you have to recognise he's been a great champion and it's the end of an
era."
Formula One Driver Jarno Trulli:
"We will miss him a little bit as a driver. We will
miss him a lot in the football matches."
Formula One Legend Stirling Moss[16]:
"He's done some fantastic drives, he's made some
stupid mistakes. He's not a great in my mind like [Juan Manuel] Fangio, but is
one of the most talented drivers."
Mercedes motorsport head Norbert Haug:
"For me it is sad to learn that he will retire.
With his retirement, an era of Formula One racing ends."
Attributes
Schumacher is noted for his ability to get the most
out of his team and car, for his wet weather abilities, and for his ability to
turn fast laps at key parts of the race (such as around pitstops).
Schumacher is also known for his ability to unite
the team around him. This ability often leads to increased success for
Schumacher and the team, but can also alienate his team mates. Johnny Herbert
(his team mate at Benetton in 1995) in particular complained publicly about what
he saw as favouritism for Schumacher from the team. Schumacher's supporters
claim there is nothing wrong with the team being centred around Schumacher, as
Schumacher has invariably been faster than his team mates and thus more capable
of bringing success to the team.
On the track, Schumacher has a very on-the-edge
driving style.
Schumacher's wet weather abilities are legendary.
One example of this talent was the 1996 Spanish Grand Prix, where Schumacher
took his first victory for Ferrari in dominant fashion, despite the fact that
his car was notably inferior to the Williams cars. At one point, Schumacher was
pulling away by several seconds per lap in the torrential downpour. Another
notable win was the 2001 Malaysian Grand Prix, where Schumacher took
intermediate tires while everybody else took full wet tires after a monsoon hit
half the track. Within a handful of laps Schumacher had charged from 11th place
to the lead, eventually taking a dominant win.
Schumacher often uses his ability to produce fast
laps at important times in a race to pass opponents during pit stops, an
important talent in Formula 1, where overtaking is notoriously difficult. When
Schumacher catches an opponent on the track, he will often wait behind him until
the opponent has to make a pitstop to refuel. While the opponent is struggling
to get up to speed in a car that is heavy with fuel, Schumacher will take
advantage of the clear track in front of him and his car's lighter weight to
turn a series of fast laps. Often these fast laps will create enough of a gap
between Schumacher and the opponent so that Schumacher can make his own pitstop
and come out in front of the opponent. Schumacher has used this tactic countless
times, with the most famous example coming at the 2000 Japanese Grand Prix where
Schumacher used the tactic to overtake Mika Häkkinen and clinch Ferrari's first
World Drivers' Championship since 1979. Similar tactics used in a much different
situation also brought him victory in the 1998 Hungarian Grand Prix, which
Schumacher said at the time was one of his greatest victories.
Controversy
Since the death of Ayrton Senna in 1994, Schumacher
has been widely regarded as the fastest driver in F1 and the dominant driver of
recent times. However, much like Senna, his career has at times been
controversial, with many critics and fans questioning his sportsmanship and
driving tactics and the apparent standing team orders which require his team
mates to play a subservient role.
Championship-deciding collisions
For those who question Schumacher's driving style,
the two most noted incidents are the 1994 Australian Grand Prix crash with Damon
Hill and the 1997 European Grand Prix crash with Jacques Villeneuve. Both of
these incidents decided the World Championship, and Schumacher's critics allege
that both incidents were intentional attempts by Schumacher to crash his rival
out of the race.
The 1994 Australian Grand Prix was the final round
of the 1994 season, and Schumacher entered the race with a single point
advantage over Damon Hill. Schumacher led the race from the start, but with Hill
applying heavy pressure late in the race, Schumacher made an error and ran wide
off the track, bumping the wall. Whether the car was damaged in the impact is
unknown, and still the subject of considerable debate. Schumacher managed to get
his car back on track in front of Hill but had lost momentum as a result of his
driving error. Hill took the opportunity to go for the overtaking manoeuvre and
moved for the inside on the next corner. Schumacher turned into Hill's car, with
Schumacher's right rear tire striking Hill's left front. Schumacher's car
crashed into the outside wall, while Hill was forced to pull out due to
suspension damage. [2] The double-retirement meant that Schumacher won the 1994
World Championship. Schumacher's critics allege that, knowing his car was
damaged, he intentionally drove his car into Hill's in order to take the Briton
out of the race. Schumacher denies this allegation, and the FIA took no action
against him. Williams has since claimed that they did not protest the result due
to a lack of concrete evidence and the fact that they were still trying to get
over the death of Ayrton Senna, who died earlier in the season, and felt that
Hill winning in the court of appeal would be disrespectful to Senna.
During the 1997 European Grand Prix Schumacher was
leading the race, followed by Villeneuve. Similar to the 1994 incident, a win
for either driver would guarantee him the World Championship. Villeneuve
attempted to overtake Schumacher approaching a right-handed corner; as the
French Canadian passed, Schumacher's car turned sharply into the side of his
car. Villeneuve managed to keep control of his car, but Schumacher's car bounced
off Villeneuve's and into the gravel trap, where it became stuck. Villeneuve
went on to finish third, behind Mika Häkkinen (his first F1 win) and David
Coulthard, which was sufficient to win the World Championship. Once again,
Schumacher denied any wrongdoing, but this time the FIA took action, stripping
him of his second place in the final World Championship standings (with
Heinz-Harald Frentzen moving from third to second), while retaining his results
and points for the season.
Sportsmanship
Schumacher's critics allege that Schumacher
occasionally displays poor sportsmanship to gain an unfair advantage over his
rivals.
In qualifying for the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix after
setting the fastest lap Schumacher drove round slowly on the racing line almost
causing a collision with Gerhard Berger who was still on a fast lap. Berger had
to spin his car to avoid a collision. Schumacher claimed afterwards that he
believed that the session had finished and apologized to Berger. Berger was
furious and referred the matter to the Stewards but they took no action.
In 1998 season, Schumacher created controversy by
winning the British GP in the pit lane. He was issued a 10s stop-and-go penalty
for overtaking during the Safety Car laps. Knowing that a conventional
in-stop-out penalty would lose him the race to championship contender Mika
Häkkinen, the team delayed him going into the pit for the penalty the allowed
number of laps (3) and only served the penalty after the end of the race, thus
avoided the slow out lap from the pit that would have caused him to lose the
race. However, because the stewards had incorrectly issued the penalty
Schumacher escaped punishment as the stewards later rescinded the penalty. The
penalty (for overtaking Alex Wurz under safety car on lap 43 of 60) should have
been issued within 25 minutes but Ferrari were informed 6 minutes after the
limit had expired. The handwritten notification was also unclear as to which
penalty was actually being issued: a 10s stop/go, or 10 seconds added to
Schumacher's race time (a penalty which could only be used to punish an
infraction in the last 12 laps).[19] As a result the three stewards involved
handed in their licences at an extraordinary meeting of the FIA World
Council.[20]
In 2003 European Grand Prix, Schumacher was helped
back to the track by marshals (one a tractor driver in civilian clothing) when
he ended up high-sided on the kerb after a spin. Many fans believed that this
was illegal, as drivers may not receive outside assistance to get back on the
track. However, an exception is made if a car is in a dangerous position, and
the FIA judged that this was indeed the case. Schumacher's critics complained of
a double-standard, which they believe was substantiated by the marshals' refusal
to aid Fernando Alonso in the 2004 Italian Grand Prix when he was in a similar
situation. However, the rules for this situation had changed as the exception in
the 2003 rules had been removed in the 2004 version. Schumacher also received a
push from the marshals in the 2005 Australian Grand Prix, although he retired
anyway due to suspension damage after driving back to the pits. However, Nick
Heidfeld, who was involved in the same incident, received no help from the
marshals and had to retire. Schumacher's supporters note that he isn't the first
driver to be helped by a push from a dangerous situation, indeed Riccardo
Patrese won the 1982 Monaco Grand Prix having got a push from the marshals after
a spin on the penultimate lap.
In qualifying for the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix
Schumacher set the fastest lap time. He then took the Rascasse corner wide,
narrowly avoided contacting the wall, before stalling his engine. The subsequent
yellow flag prevented other runners from completing their qualifying runs. His
main championship opponent, Fernando Alonso was on a qualifying run at the time,
and looked set to post a faster time than Schumacher. Three times world champion
Jackie Stewart accused Schumacher of leaving his car there on purpose to ensure
his competitors could not better his lap time. [21] As a result of an inquiry by
stewards into the incident Schumacher was stripped of all times set in the
qualifying session. This forced him to start from back of the grid, whereas his
arch-rival Fernando Alonso was promoted to pole position. Schumacher and Ferrari
maintain that the incident was accidental. Alonso said later that season that he
considered Schumacher "the most unsporting driver with the largest number of
sanctions in the history of Formula One." [22]
Team orders
During Schumacher's dominance in the first half of
the 2000s, he created much controversy around not only him but also his team
Ferrari and race director Jean Todt, because of the way they were manipulating
the race results by swapping finishing positions with Rubens Barrichello, the
other Ferrari driver at the time. This had also affected Eddie Irvine during his
time partnering Schumacher in Ferrari from 1996 until 1999, for example when
Schumacher in the lead let Irvine pass to win the 1999 Malaysian GP and gain
critical points, when Irvine was fighting for the Driver's world championship.
Yet some think Ferrari team orders was a major factor in Irvine's move to Jaguar
in 2000.
The most infamous episode of usage of 'team orders'
by Ferrari was at the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix where the team ordered
Barrichello, who was leading the race, to move over for Schumacher to take the
win. The move, embarrassing for F1 fans and media, was done after the very last
corner of the last lap of the Austrian Grand Prix. This led to a public outcry
by spectators in the grandstands; on the podium a visibly embarrassed and
bewildered Schumacher ushered Barrichello onto the top step in an attempt calm
the irate crowd. It also led to trouble for bookmakers and betting agencies. The
result was a ban on team orders and a $1 million fine for Ferrari for disrupting
the podium ceremony($500,000 to be paid immediately, with the remainder remitted
subject to "good behaviour" during the next 12 months) [23]. Nevertheless, team
orders are at times practiced by many teams and, despite bans by the FIA, can be
executed discreetly.
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. During much of his time at Benetton he was consistently
dominant over his team mates; since moving to Ferrari, his team has guaranteed
he is given a clear Number 1 status. Furthermore, his dominance over his team
mates spans his entire 14-year career, including Brundle, Irvine, Barrichello,
Verstappen, JJ Lehto, Herbert, and current team mate Massa.
In more recent years, however, Schumacher's success
with Ferrari, moderation of his on-track tactics, and a more relaxed public
persona have rehabilitated his image for some fans.
Awards
Michael Schumacher has won the coveted Laureus
World Sportsman of the Year award in 2002[24] and 2004[25], for his outstanding
performance in the 2001 and 2003 seasons respectively. He joins a select group
of sports personalities to win the award - golfer Tiger Woods, cyclist Lance
Armstrong and tennis player Roger Federer. In its 7-year history, no other
sportsman has been nominated more times than Schumacher, who also received
nominations for the 2001, 2003 and 2005 awards.[26]
Personal life
Schumacher married Corinna Betsch in August 1995.
They have two children together, daughter Gina-Maria (b. 1997) and son Mick (b.
1999), and reside in Vufflens-le-Château, Switzerland, near Lake Geneva [3].
Schumacher is very protective of his private life and takes every effort to keep
his family out of the spotlight. Michael Schumacher's younger brother Ralf, six
years his junior, is also an F1 driver.
Schumacher's off-track interests include playing
football (soccer) (actively in FC Echichens), watching films, karaoke, playing
tennis, swimming, and skiing. He has received some nicknames along with his
career, including the "Red Baron", "Schuey" and "Schumi". In Germany he is
sometimes called "Schwiegermutters Liebling" (mother in law's favourite),
because he is seen as a devoted family man and has never been involved in
personal scandals.
Charity
In 2005, Schumacher donated US$10 million to
charity for the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake in a charity show on the German
television network ZDF.[27] It was later announced that the two sons of
Schumacher's bodyguard, Burkhard Cramer, had died while on holiday in Phuket,
Thailand. In fact, his donation surpassed that of any other sportsperson, most
sports leagues, many worldwide corporations and even some countries.[28]
Combining his hobby of football with charity,
Schumacher has participated in several friendly games together with other
Formula One drivers to raise money for charity.[29]
Road safety awareness
In 1997, the FIA tasked Schumacher to promote road
safety as part of his punishment conditions for the incident in Jerez. Although
initially short term, he is still an active advocate of road safety, and an
iconic supporter of the FIA's initiatives to promote road safety around the
world. Along with Max Mosley, he was a keynote speaker at the launch and
official signing of the European Road Safety Charter in Dublin on 6 April
2004.[30]
He also participated in the global launch of the
FIA's Think Before You Drive campaign at the 2005 Spanish Grand Prix along with
then Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello.[31]
In 2005 Schumacher agreed to join the high level
Commission for Global Road Safety, headed by former NATO Secretary General Lord
Robertson of Port Ellen, as the representative for Germany. The Commission’s
report, Make Roads Safe, published in June 2006, argued for urgent international
action to tackle the 1 million annual road deaths in developing countries around
the world. Schumacher has subsequently supported the Make Roads Safe campaign,
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 on the scale of
Malaria and TB.
Special ambassador to UNESCO
Schumacher is a special ambassador to UNESCO and
has donated US$3 million to the organization. He has funded projects for the
construction of a school in Senegal, a clinic in Sarajevo and a centre for
street children in Peru. He has even taken the rare step of visiting Sarajevo to
see how his funding has benefited child victims of war. For his contribution, he
was named a UNESCO Champion For Sport by its Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura
in 2002.[32]
Finances
As of 2004, Schumacher earns an estimated US$80
million annually, including all his endorsement deals. One notable deal is with
the German investment company Deutsche Vermögensberatung, which will pay him
US$8 million over three years for wearing a four-inch (10 cm) advertisement on
his post-race hat.
Schumacher also owns a new Dassault Falcon jet, a
Dassault 2000EX registration HB-JEG with a list price of over US$20 million.
Film cameos
In early March 2006, the Spanish press reported
that Michael Schumacher will play a small role in the upcoming movie Asterix at
the Olympic Games, together with football star David Beckham and retired player
Zinedine Zidane.[33]
Michael Schumacher himself delivered a vocal
performance in Disney-Pixar's animated feature film Cars. His character in the
film, a trademark Rosso Corsa Ferrari F430 who comes to Luigi's Casa della Tires
(which makes Luigi himself and his friend Guido faint from joy), was named after
him.[34]
References
1. ^ "It's official: Schumi to retire",
itv, September 11, 2006. Retrieved on September 11, 2006.
2. ^ BBC 2001 Malysian Grand Prix Race
Report. Retrieved Aug 13, 2006.
3. ^
http://www.ferrariworld.com/events/ms/pdf/monza01_en.pdf
4. ^ "Formula1.com: 1991 Belgian Grand Prix
results". Retrieved May 4, 2006.
5. ^ "Formula1.com: 1994 British Grand Prix
results" Retrieved May 5, 2006.
6. ^ "Grandprix.com Official GP
Encyclopedia: 1994 Belgian Grand Prix results". Retrieved May 13, 2006.
7. ^ "Formula1.com: 1995 Belgian Grand Prix
results". Retrieved May 5, 2006.
8. ^
http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns02071.html,
9. ^ "Schumacher stripped of pole spot",
BBC Sport, 28 May 2006.
10. ^ "Schumacher set to back of the grid",
F1Racing.net, 27 May 2006.
11. ^ "Todt disagrees with ruling", Sky
Sports, 28 May 2006.
12. ^ Michael Schumacher. Manipe F1.
Retrieved on June 12, 2006.
13. ^ "BBC news: Schumacher announces
retirement". Retrieved Sep. 10, 2006.
14. ^ "Autosport.com: Italy shows gratitude
to Schumacher". Retrieved Sep. 12, 2006.
15. ^ a b "Planet-F1: Todt and Montezemolo
hail 'legend' Schumi". Retrieved Sep. 12, 2006.
16. ^ a b c d e f g "BBC SPORT: Thoughts on
Schumacher". Retrieved Sep. 10, 2006.
17. ^ "Fox Sports: Lauda salutes 'unique'
champion". Retrieved Sep. 12, 2006.
18. ^ "BBC SPORT: Alonso launches Schumacher
attack". Retrieved Sep. 12, 2006.
19. ^
http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns01641.html
20. ^
http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns01671.html
21. ^ "Schumacher stripped of Monaco 2006
pole position". Retrieved May 28, 2006.
22. ^ http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SPORT/09/12/motor.alonso.reut/index.html
23. ^ "Austrian Grand Prix 2002 Official FIA
Press Release". Retrieved June 18, 2006.
24. ^ "Laureus: 2002 Sportsman of the Year".
Retrieved Mar. 12, 2006.
25. ^ "Laureus: 2004 Sportsman of the Year".
Retrieved Mar. 12, 2006.
26. ^ "Laureus: Award nominees". Retrieved
Mar. 12, 2006.
27. ^ "CNN: Michael Schumacher donates US$10
million to tsunami relief". Retrieved Mar. 11, 2006.
28. ^ "Sports Illustrated Magazine: 2005
Sportsman of the Year". Retrieved Mar. 11, 2006.
29. ^ "FIFA: Press release on charity
football game". Retrieved Mar. 11, 2006.
30. ^ "FIA: Feature on Michael Schumacher's
involvement in the launch of the European Road Safety Charter. Retrieved Mar.
11, 2006.
31. ^ "FIA: Think Before You Drive global
launch news item. Retrieved Mar. 11, 2006.
32. ^ "UNESCO: Announcement naming Michael
Schumacher as the UNESCO Champion for Sport. Retrieved Mar. 11, 2006.
33. ^ "The Sydney Morning Herald: Report on a
possible movie role for Michael Schumacher". Retrieved Mar. 11, 2006.
34. ^ "Lowe's Motor Speedway: Cars World
Premiere". Retrieved May 12, 2006.
****
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