Michael Schumacher is a Formula One driver whose greatness is unquestioned. For over twenty years of his prodigious career, the legendary German has won nearly a third of the F1 events he raced in. Below, we reminisce about Schumacher’s best moments on the track.
Early Career Highlights
Before he found himself in the top-tier racing series, Michael performed in the entry-level championships and the third division, winning several Formula Three events. In 1991, 22-year-old Schumi embarked on his F1 career as a member of Eddie Jordan’s team.
Michael’s debut appearance was happenstance since he was chosen as a substitute for Bertrand Gachot, who was detained and expected a trial. Not only was the German almost unfamiliar with the car, but he was also a complete stranger to the course — the tricky Spa.
Nevertheless, the newcomer made waves during the Belgian Grand Prix qualifying session by securing the seventh grid position, while Andrea de Cesaris, his experienced teammate, qualified only eleventh. Unfortunately, Schumi had to retire from the race due to a clutch issue.
Championships With Benetton
Despite his impressive start with the Irish team, the German racing prodigy slipped away from Jordan’s hands right into the arms of Benetton shortly after the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix. So, Schumacher achieved his first major successes and victories while sitting in Benetton F1 cars.
First World Championship (1994)
From 1992 through 1993, Schumi clinched a number of podiums and victories, but the year 1994 signified his first World Champion title. The German sensation won eight out of the 14 Grands Prix he entered. However, the path to the trophy was not always easy and rosy.
The 1994 season’s opening race in Brazil was the driver’s flawless victory as he lapped all competitors, including the polesitter Ayrton Senna. He also came first in the next three races, but his winning drive in San Marino was marred by Senna’s terrible crash, which appeared fatal.
On his way to the season’s top driver title, Michael went through disqualification from the British and Belgian Grands Prix, bans from the Italian and Portuguese races, retirements in the German and Australian events, and vehement battles with his season’s arch-rival, Damon Hill.
Back-to-Back Titles (1995)
The following 1995 season brought Schumi his second Drivers’ Championship title. Not only did he defend the crown, but he also improved his overall season performance by winning nine Grands Prix, scoring 11 podiums, and considerably increasing the lead over the runner-up.
The German secured back-to-back wins at the Brazilian, Pacific, Monaco, French, and European Grands Prix. During the Belgian race, Michael showcased his signature wet drive, racecraft, and grit as he overtook the entire field and finished first from the 16th position.
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The Ferrari Era: Dominance and Legacy
Michael Schumacher has contributed immensely to Benetton, leading it to its first and only Constructors’ Champion title. However, in 1996, he left the team for Ferrari, which was then experiencing pretty hard times, and its cars were struggling to stand the competition.
With Schumi on the squad, Ferrari has made a quantum leap, become a formidable Formula One team, and solidified its dominance in the sport. Driving Ferrari, Michael earned five Drivers’ titles in a row and took the team to six back-to-back Constructors’ Championship victories.
Schumacher’s Most Memorable Races
The Ferrari period was the German racer’s golden age: his career flourished, and he swept Grands Prix. As part of the team, Schumacher won a staggering 72 events of the series, not to mention numerous pole positions and podiums. Below are the most memorable of his races.
1998 Hungarian Grand Prix
On the Hungaroring circuit, Schumacher faced off against Mika Häkkinen, his main rival in the 1998 season. The McLaren MP4/13 was equipped with the most powerful engine, and the car was a cut above the competitors. So Ferarri had to do its best to devise a winning strategy.
But the team did it! Ross Brawn, Ferrari’s technical director and mastermind, suggested a tactical tweak and decided on three pit stops, one more than McLaren normally took. Then, it was Schumacher’s turn to implement the strategy on the circuit, and he did it brilliantly.
McLaren’s headliners, Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard, started first and second, while Michael qualified third. After pitstopping for the second time, Schumi rushed ahead of the field and gained an edge so big that none of McLarens could reach him even after his third pit stop.
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2000 Japanese Grand Prix – Securing the Title
The Japanese Grand Prix was the last but one race in the 2000 Formula One season, which marked the phenomenal German’s third World Drivers’ Championship victory and his first such title with Ferrari. The racer arrived in Japan with seven wins in the season’s previous events.
The Grand Prix was a decisive battle for the Driver’s title between the perennial rivals Schumacher and Häkkinen. The German started on pole but lost the edge immediately. The Finn predictably took the lead and extended it over Michael on lap 26 to almost 3 seconds.
The slippery track forced Häkkinen to slow down on lap 30, and Schumacher began to close the gap. Schumi turned the tables in the second round of stops as he undercut the Flying Finn and was over 4 seconds ahead of him on lap 40. Ultimately, he scored the eighth win in the season.
2006 Brazilian Grand Prix – The Last Hurrah
Just a month before the Brazilian Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher announced his retirement plans. So, the pinnacle event of the 2006 season could have brought the legendary driver his record eighth World Champion title and become a magnificent ending to his incredible career.
Even though the title never went to him, Michael demonstrated great racecraft and astounding resilience on the track — the things he’s especially lauded for. The driver’s hardships emerged during qualification: because of a sudden problem with fuel pressure, he qualified only tenth.
However, Schumacher had a good start, quickly passed several cars, and rose to sixth on lap 2. Serious trouble came on lap 9 as his tire was punctured, and the German dropped to the last place. Yet he continued fighting, recovered amazingly fast, and crossed the finish line fourth.
Schumacher’s Return to F1 with Mercedes
Michael Schumacher retired after the 2006 Formula One season but remained with the Ferrari team, doing testing and counseling. He even planned to perform at the 2009 Grands Prix as a replacement but had to give up the idea of coming back to the sport because of an injury.
Comeback in 2010
Nevertheless, the legend’s comeback, albeit with a different team, occurred in 2010 when the racer was 41 years old. Schumi joined Mercedes mainly because of Ross Brawn, the former technical director at Benetton and Ferrari, who led the driver to his seven World Champion titles.
The 2010 Formula One season kicked off in Bahrain, where Schumacher took the sixth place after a gap of more than three years. He finished only tenth in the subsequent Australian Grand Prix and had to retire on lap 9 in the third race in Malaysia since one of his wheel nuts got loose.
The driver’s best result in the season was the fourth position, which he achieved in the Spanish, Turkish, and Korean Grands Prix. He became ninth in the final Championship standings, and his most vivid drive was in Belgium, where he jumped from 21st at the start to seventh at the finish.
2012 Monaco Grand Prix Qualifying
The 2012 World Drivers’ Championship became the third after Michael Schumacher’s comeback and the last in his entire racing career. He finished the 2012 season in the 13th position without a single win and with only one podium — third place in the European Grand Prix.
However, his qualifying drive in Monaco was a reminder of his mastery and ability to cover laps flash-like. He set the best time and secured pole by overtaking Red Bull’s Mark Webber and his teammate Nico Rosberg, who later became the Grand Prix’s winner and runner-up, respectively.
Despite earning pole position in qualifying, Schumacher started sixth, five positions down on the grid, due to a penalty given to him during the previous race of the season in Spain. The start was fast, and he moved steadily, but a fuel pressure problem forced him to retire from the race.
Conclusion
A Formula One Hall of Famer with 7 Drivers’ titles and 91 victories, Michael Schumacher will always be remembered as one of the greatest drivers in history. What’s more, he’ll remain in F1 fans’ hearts for his uncompromising will to win and his ability to stay in the fight no matter what.
