Michael Schumacher has announced he will retire at the end of this season after a historical 90 wins, 1354 points and seven world championship titles. Schumacher, the greatest driver the sport has ever seen over the past 16 years, set a new standard to which younger drivers can only aspire.
Born on January 3, 1969 to a bricklayer who also ran the local kart circuit won his first championship at the age of six.
Triumphs in Formula Ford and Formula 3 as a teenager. By his early twenties, his first Formula One stint with the Jordan Team in 1991. He stood in for a jailed Bertrand Gachot at Spa. Schumacher qualified seventh on the grid, impressing rival team Benetton so much they offered him a permanent race seat for the rest of the season.
At the 1991 Italian Grand Prix, Schumacher finished fifth, claiming the first of four points he earned that year with Benetton. The next season, he enjoyed a maiden win in Belgium, racked up 53 points and beat his more experienced team mate Martin Brundle to take third in the championship. A year later he was fourth in the championship and reigning supreme within the team. His dedicated work ethic and passion for winning paid off with back-to-back drivers’ titles in 1994 and 1995.
In 1996 after four seasons with Benetton, he signed to Ferrari – a team which hadn’t won a championship in almost 20 years. Ross Brawn, technical director and Rory Byrne chief designer at Benetton join him later that year.
Schumacher’s first season at Ferrari was a trying one. Nevertheless, relying for the most part on his natural talent, he took three victories out of an under-performing car. By ‘98, things were looking more promising and he finished second overall in the title race to Mika Hakkinen. Then in 1999, Schumacher was forced to show his mettle once more after a heavy crash in Silverstone broke his leg and put paid to his title chances for another year.
It was during these early days at Ferrari, when his stakes were down, that Schumacher’s determination and obsessive dedication shone through. As a result, in 2000, everything finally slotted into place and Schumacher, after winning nine races, became the Italian team’s first world champion in 21 years. The German legend would continue winning for the next four seasons, racking up 39 victories and four further championships. He dominated the sport in a way never seen before and firmly ensconced himself in the record books.
Only in 2005, with the rise of Fernando Alonso and Renault, did that dominance begin to wane. Then, as in ’96, Schumacher’s strength of mind came to the fore, as he pushed an uncompetitive car to go faster. The result was third in the championship – five places above a team mate in identical machinery. And in 2006 Ferrari are back and fighting, revived in small part by Schumacher’s resolute ambition and refusal to lie down. Even now, at the age of 37 and heading into retirement, he is still fighting for every win.
Of course, such success rarely comes without controversy, and Schumacher has courted his fair share over the years. His first title in 1994 was tainted (and clinched) with a timely collision with the Williams of rival Damon Hill. Then in 1997, he was stripped of second place in the championship after crashing into Jacques Villeneuve – another title challenger – in Jerez. And more recently the German’s ethics have been called into question following his qualifying accident in Monaco this year.
Schumacher’s insistence on number-one status at Ferrari also drew criticism from some quarters. Eddie Irvine, Rubens Barrichello, and Felipe Massa were all compliant number twos and doubtless played a role in his success. But that cannot diminish the great on-track rivalries Schumacher enjoyed – and won – with the greats from other teams. The likes of Hill, Villeneuve, Hakkinen were all champions themselves, but in the long term none could match his all-round ability. Be it speed, natural talent, ruthlessness or hard work, Schumacher had it all. He rarely made mistakes, his prowess in the rain has been well documented, and he has become so attuned to the development of the cars he drives that he can continually adapt their set-up mid race to his advantage.
The other world champion to leave the sport this year, Jacques Villeneuve, questioned whether Schumacher’s legacy will be as long-lasting as that of Fangio, Senna or Prost. But with 90 wins, 68 pole positions, 75 fastest laps, 1354 points and those seven world titles, most would say Michael Schumacher will never be forgotten – or beaten!
Source is from the official Formula One website.
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Schumi No more !!!!
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