Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher (pronounced /miçaɛl ʃumaxɐ/, born January 3, 1969, in Hürth Hermülheim, near Cologne) is a German Formula One driver and seven-time Formula One world champion. He holds many Formula One records, including those for most drivers championships, race victories, pole positions, and most races won at a single event. Schumacher is the only German to have won the drivers' championship and is one of the best paid sportsmen in the world, earning an estimated US$80 million annually as of 2004.

Schumacher won the 1990 German Formula Three title before joining the Mercedes-Benz junior driver scheme in the World Sportscar Championship in 1991. He made his debut in Formula One at the age of 21 with the Jordan team at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix where, despite his lack of experience, Schumacher matched the team's season-best grid position of seventh. The race-winning Benetton team signed him before the next race, despite what Jordan believed was a binding contract. Schumacher went on to win world championships in 1994 and 1995 with the Anglo-Italian team before joining the then uncompetitive Ferrari team for 1996. In 2000 Michael Schumacher took Ferrari's first driver's championship since 1979. He won the next four championships and in 2004 won 13 of that year's 18 races.

Schumacher has attracted controversy during his long career in the top flight. The Benetton team was investigated several times in 1994 and 1995 for using illegal technology and Ferrari are regularly accused by the other teams of getting their own way with FIA decisions. His rivals have accused him of being excessively ruthless on the track. Although these accusations have not always been supported by the FIA, his results were deleted from 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 in the wet. As the senior driver in the Formula One world championship Schumacher has continued to win races up to and including the 2006 season.

Early years

Formula One debut

Benetton years

1991-1993

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 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. Nevertheless, this was a crucial year for developing the Benetton machine as electronic launch and traction controls were incorporated into their Engine Control Unit (ECU) mid way through the year.

1994

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 started 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 ["Formula1.com: 1994 British Grand Prix results"] Retrieved May 5, 2006.. 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.["Grandprix.com Official GP Encyclopedia: 1994 Belgian Grand Prix results"]. Retrieved May 13, 2006.

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

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 ["Formula1.com: 1995 Belgian Grand Prix results"]. Retrieved May 5, 2006..

Ferrari years

1996-1999

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 Jacques 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. Despite the fact that the Ferrari was literally thrown into the side of the Williams, it was the red car that 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 tyre rule changes in Formula 1 which seemed to favour tyre manufacturer Bridgestone over rival manufacturer Goodyear. Early into the season, it was evident that McLaren, who chose to compete with Bridgestone tyres 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. 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 in an amazing way, only to retire some laps later due to a punctured tyre, 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 teammate, David Coulthard, whose collision with Schumacher in Belgium, while a lap behind Michael, 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 stuck throttle 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 tyre 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 teammate, 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

Schumacher started the season in style, winning the first 3 races, 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 equaling 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

2002

Again, just Williams' Ralf and McLaren Mercedes's Coulthard could take something from the all-conquering Ferrari. Montoya remained someone to battle with, finishing third behind the two Ferraris and clinching 7 pole positions with a special qualifying car, which was sometimes as fast as the Ferrari. This slowed Schumacher's race for another record he was close to reaching, the 65-pole record from Ayrton Senna.

2003

The biggest threats once again came from the McLaren Mercedes and BMW Williams F1 teams. His brother Ralf became a regular race contender and scored some victories; more so Juan Pablo Montoya, who was a fierce competitor on track and often getting the best of him. In 2003 Montoya became a title contender even stronger than Kimi Räikkönen, as he had at his disposal the class of the field for some part of the world championship and scored a couple of victories, but Ferrari reacted from the Italian Grand Prix onwards and gained a slight car advantage allowing the German to win two more decisive races. After Montoya was penalized in the US GP he was out of the title contention; only the Finnish driver Kimi Räikkönen was left. Räikkönen, who had scored consistently in an inferior car, benefited from an indulgent system of points and had a mathematical chance until the final race, although he had just a single victory to his credit compared to Schumacher's six.

2004

Schumacher at Indianapolis in 2004

Schumacher started off the championship with typical dominance, winning 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 where it had begun — at the Belgian Grand Prix. Scuderia Ferrari, and in particular Bridgestone, had been the key as the tyre was far and away superior to Michelin over the season. He would finish this season with a record 148 points, and a new record of 13 race wins in a season, surpassing the previous best of 11, which he had scored in the 2002 Formula One season.

2005

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), Takuma Sato (Belgian GP) and Christijan Albers (Chinese GP).

2006

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 and retired from 6th place mid-way through the race after crashing into the wall at the final corner while chasing Jenson Button.

At the San Marino Grand Prix, Schumacher took his 66th pole position, breaking Senna's record of 65. He followed this up with a race win, holding off a challenge from Fernando Alonso despite struggling for pace in the middle stages of the race. Barring the 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 Fernando Alonso in a closely contested battle, putting in a series of blistering 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 an uproar in the paddock after the end of qualifying, after he stopped his car on the circuit causing an obstruction for his rivals who were trying to set a faster time. Alonso failed to set a faster laptime 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. 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. Ferrari's director Jean Todt strongly disputed the decision, claiming that "[w]ith no real evidence, the stewards have assumed he is guilty."

Schumacher was widely condemned up and down the pit lane, not only by many of his present-day rivals, but also by several highly-respected figures such as Sir Jackie Stewart and, most bluntly, Keke Rosberg, who said: "he's just a cheap cheat. He should leave F1 to honest people. I thought he had grown up. Does he think we are all fools and idiots?" ([link])

During the race itself, Schumacher battled back from the 22nd spot to finish 5th, although he was aided by four cars retiring from in front of him.

At the British Grand Prix he salvaged second by passing Kimi Raikkonen after the second round of stops. He was 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 Raikkonen 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, and is only four wins short of the combined total of wins of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna.

Complete Formula One results

Formula One records

Schumacher celebrates his win at the 2006 USGP

As of the 2006 French Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher holds the following F1 records:

—Year of Record

2006:

• Most race wins: 88
• Most race wins with one team: 69
• Most podium finishes: 150
• Most second place finishes: 43
• Most points finishes: 184
• Most pole positions: 68
• Most fastest laps: 73
• Most race wins from pole position: 40
• Most "clean-sweeps" (pole position, race win, and fastest lap): 22
• Most championship points: 1,327
• Most time between first and last race wins: 13 years, 11 months, and 3 days
• Only racing driver ever, in any racing class, to win 5 times at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• Only driver in history to win the same Grand Prix 8 times at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours

• Most championship titles: 7
• Most consecutive championship titles: 5
• Most race wins in a season: 13 (in 18 races)
• Most consecutive race wins: 7 (European GP, Canadian GP, United States GP, French GP, British GP, German GP, Hungarian GP)
• Most fastest laps in a season: 10 (in 18 races)
• Most championship points in a season: 148 (out of a maximum of 180)

• Most podium finishes in a season: 17 (in 17 races)

Controversy

Schumacher's team was thought to be using illegal traction control to assist Schumacher when he raced for Benetton. Benetton admitted that their car had the device but claimed it was not used during races.

Driving tactics

The 1994 Australian Grand Prix was the final round of the 1994 season, and Schumacher entered the race with a singe 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. Regardless, Schumacher managed to get his car back on track in front of Hill, but Hill dove for the inside of the next corner. Schumacher turned in normally, and the cars collided, 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. The double-retirement meant that Schumacher won the 1994 World Championship. Schumacher's critics alledge 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.

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 belived that the session had finished and apologied to Berger. Berger was furious and referred the matter to the Stewards but they took no action.

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. Since 1997 Schumacher has admitted that he was attempting to take Villeneuve out of the race.

In 1998 season, Schumacher created controversy by winning the British GP in 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, he delayed going into the pit for the penalty the allowed number of laps and only served the penalty at the end of the race, thus avoided the slow out lap from the pit that would have caused him to lose the race. However, the FIA ruled this completely legal.

In 2003 European Grand Prix, Schumacher was helped back to the track by marshals (and an overzealous fan) when he ended up high-sided on the kerb after a spin. Many fans believed that this was illegal, as drivers may not recieve 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 recieved a push from the marshals in the 2005 Australian Grand Prix, although he retired anyways due to suspension damage after driving back to the pits. 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 despite getting 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. ["Schumacher stripped of Monaco 2006 pole position"]. Retrieved May 28, 2006. As a result of an inquiry by stewards into the incident Schumacher was stripped of all times set in the qualifying session, forcing him to start from last on the grid. Schumacher and Ferrari maintain that the incident was accidental.

Team orders

Schumacher in the Paddock at the USGP in 2002

During Schumacher's dominance in the first half of the 2000s, he created much controversy not only around him but 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 disgusted reception on the podium where an embarrassed Schumacher ushered Barrichello onto the top step. 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) ["Austrian Grand Prix 2002 Official FIA Press Release"]. Retrieved June 18, 2006.. 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 teammates; since moving to Ferrari, his team has guaranteed he is given a clear Number 1 status. Furthermore, his dominance over his teammates spans his entire 14-year career, including Brundle, Irvine, Barrichello, Verstappen, JJ Lehto, Herbert, and current teammate 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 most fans, although the collisions with Hill and Villeneuve have not been forgotten by many Formula one fans, who are quick to point out poor sportsmanship.

Driver Notes

Awards

Personal life

Michael's off-track interests include playing football (soccer) (actively in FC Aubonne), watching films, karaoke, playing tennis, swimming, and skiing. He has received some nicknames along with his career, including the "Red Baron", "Schuey" and "Schumi".

Charity

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.["FIFA: Press release on charity football game"]. Retrieved Mar. 11, 2006.

Road safety awareness

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.["FIA: Think Before You Drive global launch news item]. Retrieved Mar. 11, 2006.

Special ambassador to UNESCO

Salary

Schumacher also owns a new Dassault Falcon Jet a [Dassault 2000EX] registration HB-JEG.

Film Cameos

Michael Schumacher delivered a vocal performance in Disney-Pixar's animated feature film Cars. His character in the film, a 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.["Lowe's Motor Speedway: Cars World Premiere"]. Retrieved May 12, 2006.

References

See also

• Formula One
• [[Portal:Formula One]]
• Jordan Grand Prix
• Benetton Formula
• Scuderia Ferrari
• List of racing drivers
• List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions
• List of Formula One records
• Ralf Schumacher
• Famous Germans

External links