Michael Schumacher

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For the American politician, see Michael Shoemaker. For the Luxembourgian athlete, see Mike
Schumacher.

Michael Schumacher

Schumacher at the 2012 Chinese Grand Prix

Born 3 January 1969 (age 49)

Hürth, West Germany

Formula One World Championship career

Nationality German

Active years 1991–2006, 2010–2012

Teams Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari, Mercedes

 Entries 308 (306 starts)

Championships 7 (1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004)

Wins 91

Podiums 155

Career points 1,566

Pole positions 68

Fastest laps 77

First entry 1991 Belgian Grand Prix

First win 1992 Belgian Grand Prix

Last win 2006 Chinese Grand Prix

Last entry 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix

24 Hours of Le Mans career

Years 1991
Teams Team Sauber Mercedes
Best finish 5th in C2 (1991)
Class wins 0

Michael Schumacher (German: [ˈʃuːmaxɐ] ( listen); born 3 January 1969) is a retired German racing
driver who raced in Formula One for Jordan Grand Prix, Benetton and Ferrari, where he spent the
majority of his career, as well as for Mercedes upon his return to the sport. Widely regarded as one
of the greatest Formula One drivers ever,[1][2][3][4]and regarded by some as the greatest of all
time,[5][6] Schumacher is the only driver in history to win seven Formula One World Championships,
five of which he won consecutively. The most successful driver in the history of the sport,
Schumacher holds the records for the most World Championship titles (7), the most Grand Prix
wins (91), the most fastest laps (77) and the most races won in a single season (13), and according
to the official Formula One website (Formula1.com), Schumacher was "statistically the greatest
driver the sport has ever seen" at the time of his retirement from the sport.[7]
After success in karting as a child, Schumacher won titles in Formula König and Formula
Three before joining Mercedes in the World Sportscar Championship. In 1991, his Mercedes-funded
race debut for the Jordan Formula One team resulted in Schumacher being signed by Benetton for
the rest of that season. He finished third in 1992 and fourth in 1993, before becoming the first
German World Drivers' Champion in 1994 by one point over Damon Hill, albeit in controversial
circumstances. In 1995 he repeated the success, this time with a greater margin. In 1996,
Schumacher moved to Ferrari, who had last won the Drivers' Championship in 1979, and helped
them transform into the most successful team in Formula One history, as he came close to winning
the 1997 and 1998 titles, before breaking his leg at the 1999 British Grand Prix, ending another title
run.
Schumacher won five consecutive drivers' titles from 2000 to 2004, including an unprecedented sixth
and seventh title. In 2002, Schumacher won the title with a record six races remaining and finished
on the podium in every race. In 2004, Schumacher won twelve out of the first thirteen races and
went on to win a record 13 times as he won his final title. Schumacher retired from Formula One in
2006, after finishing runner-up to Renault's Fernando Alonso.[8] Schumacher returned to Formula
One in 2010 with Mercedes. He produced the fastest qualifying time at the 2012 Monaco Grand Prix,
and achieved his only podium on his return at the 2012 European Grand Prix, where he finished
third. In October 2012, Schumacher announced he would retire for a second time at the end of the
season.[9]
His career was frequently controversial, as he was twice involved in collisions in the final race of a
season that determined the outcome of the World Championship, with Damon
Hill in 1994 in Adelaide, and with Jacques Villeneuve in 1997 in Jerez.[10] Schumacher is an
ambassador for UNESCO and has been involved in numerous humanitarian efforts throughout his
life, donating tens of millions of dollars to charity.[11] Schumacher and his younger brother, Ralf, are
the only siblings to win races in Formula One, and they were the first brothers to finish 1st and 2nd in
the same race, a feat they repeated in four subsequent races.
On 29 December 2013, Schumacher suffered a traumatic brain injury in a skiing accident. He was
placed in a medically induced coma for six months until 16 June 2014. He left the hospital
in Grenoble for further rehabilitation at the University Hospital of Lausanne.[12] On 9 September 2014,
Schumacher was relocated to his home where he continues to receive medical treatment and
rehabilitation privately.[13]As of 2016 he remained unable to walk or stand.[14][15]