Background

Michael Schumacher was born on January 3, 1969, in Hürth, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, to Rolf and Elisabeth Schumacher. Michael has a younger brother, Ralf, a former racing driver too. Sebastian Stahl, a racing driver, is Schumacher's stepbrother.

Education

When Schumacher was four, his family moved to Kerpen, a working-class town near Cologne, Germany. It was there that the family became involved in karting. At that time, Michael was given a kart, powered by an old lawn-mower engine by his father. It was from such a humble beginning, that a World Champion's career launched. Karting became a family obsession, fed by the resourcefulness of the elder Schumacher and the spirit of young Michael.

Schumacher attended a school in Manheim, which he quit in the late 1980s. He then began working as a mechanic. Before that, in 1985, Michael joined Eurokart dealer Adolf Neubert and, by 1987, he was the German and European kart champion.

Michael Schumacher did not attend college.

Career

As a youth, Schumacher became interested in go-kart racing, an enthusiasm that was supported by his father's management of a go-kart track. In 1984 and 1985, he won the German junior karting championship, and in 1987 he captured the German and European karting titles. The next year, at the age of 19, he left karting and became a driver of Formula Three (F3) cars, vehicles that were less powerful than the F1 racers. Two years later, in 1990, he won the German F3 championship.

In 1991, Schumacher moved up to F1 competition as a driver for the Jordan team. He switched to Benetton the following year and won the drivers' world championship for that team in 1994 and 1995. Before the 1996 season, he moved to the Ferrari team and finished third in the championship standings. After suffering a broken leg in a crash in 1999, Schumacher rebounded to win a third championship the following year, which was Ferrari's first drivers' title since 1979. His 2000 win was the first in a string of five consecutive world championships (2000-2004), and his grand total of seven F1 titles broke Juan Manuel Fangio’s record of five that had stood for nearly 50 years. In 2005 and 2006, he finished in third and second place in the F1 standings, respectively.

Schumacher retired at the end of the 2006 campaign to serve as a test driver and adviser for Ferrari. At the time of his retirement, he had 91 F1 Grand Prix race victories, which shattered the previous record of 51, held by French driver Alain Prost. In December 2009, Schumacher announced that he would return to F1 for the 2010 season as a driver for the Mercedes team. He spent three seasons with Mercedes, but he never won a race and never finished higher than eighth in the overall F1 standings during his comeback, and he retired again in 2012.

In December 2013, Schumacher fell while skiing in France and hit his head on a rock. Despite his wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, he sustained a significant brain injury and was placed in a medically induced coma until the following June.

Achievements

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  Michael Schumacher gained prominence as a racing driver, who set records for the most Formula One (F1) Grand Prix race victories and F1 series championships. He competed in Formula One for Jordan Grand Prix, Benetton, Ferrari, and Mercedes. Michael is regarded by some as the greatest racing driver of all time.
  
  Schumacher is the only driver in history to win seven Formula One World Championships, five of which he won consecutively. It's also worth mentioning, that he is a holder of the records for the most World Championship titles (7), the most fastest laps (77) and the joint most races won in a single season (13).
  
  Schumacher was mentioned as "statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen" on the official Formula One website.
  
  While Schumacher experienced unprecedented success on the track, he was also - through a combination of winner's purses and endorsements - one of the best-paid athletes in the history of the sport. His annual income was estimated at $100 million at the peak of his career.
  
  In April 2002, Michael was given the title of 'UNESCO Champion,' since he strongly advocates child education. He shares this honour with former footballer Pelé, former gymnast Sergey Bubka, and former tennis player Justine Henin. In 2002 and 2004, Schumacher was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year. He has been nominated for the award six times, sharing the honour with tennis player Roger Federer.
  
  In 2006, Michael received the FIA Gold Medal for Motor Sport. The following year, he obtained the Prince of Asturias Award for Sport both for sporting prowess and for his philanthropic contributions. On April 30, 2010, Schumacher was made the Officier of the Legion of Honour by François Fillon, then Prime Minister of France. Four years later, in 2014, he received the Millennium Trophy at the Bambi Awards.
  
  It's also worth noting, that Forbes magazine ranked Schumacher 17th in its "The World's Most Powerful Celebrities" list.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Schumacher: The Official Inside Story of the Formula One Icon

    (For the first time, the Sphinx of Formula One opens up ab...)

    1997

Religion

Michael is a Roman Catholic. In 2005, he met with Pope John Paul II.

Politics

On June 23, 2003, Schumacher was appointed an Ambassador-at-Large for the Most Serene Republic of San Marino.

Views

Michael is known for his charity work. He is a special ambassador to UNESCO and has donated 1.5 million euros to the organization. He made headlines for his $10 million donation to the relief effort for the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004.

Schumacher helps disadvantaged children all over the world. Despite the fact, that an exact figure for the amount of money he has donated throughout his life is unknown, it is known that in his last four years as a driver he donated at least $50 million. In 2008, it was revealed that he had donated between $5 million and $10 million to the Clinton Foundation.

It's also worth mentioning, that he funded the construction of a school for poor children and paid for area improvements in Dakar, Senegal. He supports a hospital for child victims of war in Sarajevo, which specializes in caring for amputees. In addition, Michael funded the "Palace for the Poor" in Lima, Peru. It is a centre for helping homeless street children obtain an education, clothing, food, medical attention, and shelter.

Schumacher supported an FIA European road safety campaign and Make Roads Safe.

Quotations: "Once something is a passion, the motivation is there."

"You win a race, the next race it's a question mark. Are you still the best or not? That's what is funny. But that's what is interesting. And that's what is challenging. You have to prove yourself every time."

"I just want to be known as a very normal person and be treated as that and be able to walk down the street like anyone else."

"When you start out in a team, you have to get the teamwork going and then you get something back."

"When you are part of a community for 14 years, it inevitably shapes you. I will always have a part of Ferrari beside me; a part of my heart will always be red."

"If you're lucky enough to be famous, then it's great if you can use your fame and the power your fame gives you to draw attention to things that really matter."

Membership

Schumacher was the president of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association.

Personality

Sabine Kehm, Schumacher's manager and former spokesperson, described him as the embodiment of "typical German characteristics," adding that he was "faithful, reliable, dutiful, and fact-driven." She also said, that the same traits, that helped him succeed on the track, could also hold him back "in the human field." He has always shielded his private side and his family from public life, consciously accepting, that people are having a hard time meeting him. Kehm said Schumacher struggled with the expectation that he should have a certain level of openness in public. She also claimed he "always freaked out" during public appearances.

Early in his career, Schumacher was "insecure" and was consumed by the fear of making mistakes. However, he developed into a confident national hero by analyzing himself, both as a racing driver and a person.

It's also worth noting, that Schumacher was described as a complex, but passionate, generous and respectful human being.

Schumacher loves kids and always helps those in need.

Physical Characteristics: Schumacher is 1.74 m. tall and weighs 75 kg.

On December 29, 2013, the famous racer had a major accident while skiing with his son Mick in the Combe de Saulire region of the French Alps. He was wearing a helmet, but still had a massive fall, resulting in a serious head injury. He had to be put in a coma by the doctors to relieve him of the pain. He remained in a coma until June 2014. Michael then left the hospital in Grenoble and underwent rehabilitation at the Lausanne University Hospital, before being relocated to his home to receive medical treatment and rehabilitation privately in September 2014. In November 2014, it was reported that Schumacher was paralyzed and in a wheelchair and that he couldn't speak and had memory problems. Two years later, in 2016, it was said by his lawyer, that he couldn't walk. Schumacher's family prefers to make no comment in regard to his health.

Schumacher is reported to have muscle atrophy and osteoporosis from six years of bed confinement.

Quotes from others about the person

• Planet Schumi: "Michael Schumacher is the definition of racing greatness."
  
  Stirling Moss about Schumacher at the 1996 Spanish GP: "It was not a race. It was a demonstration of brilliance."
  
  Toto Wolff about Schumacher's influence on the Mercedes team: "He played a crucial role when we re-joined F1 and was one of the people who laid the foundation for our future success. We're extremely grateful for everything he did for us."

Interests

• yachting, Italian delicacies

• Sport & Clubs

  horse riding, football, tennis, swimming, skiing, jogging, skydiving, motorcycle racing; FC Köln

• Athletes

  Pierre Littbarski, Harald Schumacher

• Music & Bands

  Rock music; Michael Jackson, Tina Turner

Connections

It was on August 1, 1995, that Michael married Corinna Betsch, a German animal rights activist and accomplished horse rider. Their marriage produced two children - a daughter, Gina-Marie, and a son, named Mick.

Father:

Rolf Schumacher

Mother:

Elisabeth Schumacher

(died 2003)

Wife:

Corinna Schumacher

Corinna Schumacher (born March 2, 1969) is an avid horse-lover and also co-owns horse ranches with Michael in Switzerland and Texas, United States, which she manages personally. In addition, she is an animal rights activist.

Michael met his wife Corinna through a former teammate, Heinz Harald Frentzen, who was Corinna's boyfriend at the time. When that relationship came to an end, Michael seized his opportunity and five years later he and Corinna were married on August 1, 1995.

Brother:

Ralf Schumacher

Michael Schumacher's younger brother Ralf Schumacher (born June 30, 1975) is a veteran F1 racer and has over 27 podium finishes to his credit. Ralf followed brother Michael to F1 in 1997 after confining the Japanese Formula Nippon championship. Although it took him 70 races to pick up his first victory, he made up for lost time over the next two seasons.

Son:

Mick Schumacher

Mick Schumacher (born March 22, 1999) is a German racing driver, currently competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship with Prema Powerteam and being affiliated to the Ferrari Driver Academy.

Daughter:

Gina-Marie Schumacher

Gina-Marie Schumacher (born February 20, 1997) is a horse rider.

Stepbrother:

Sebastian Stahl

Sebastian Stahl (born September 20, 1978) is a German racing driver.

Friend:

Flavio Briatore

Flavio Briatore (born April 12, 1950) is an Italian businessman.

Friend:

Peter Kaiser

Friend:

Jean Todt

Jean Todt (born February 25, 1946) is a French former rally driver. He served as Peugeot Talbot Sport's director and Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team principal. From 2004 to 2008, he acted as chief executive officer of Ferrari.

References

• Michael Schumacher: The Edge of Greatness This book examines Schumacher's entire career: from his first Grand Prix with Jordan to his Benetton world championships and his attempt to win back Ferrari's crown.
  1999
• Michael Schumacher: The Whole Story This work represents Schumacher's full story, from humble beginnings to fashioning Ferrari in his own image, from a home-made kart to his very last race in China in October 2006 and the thrilling battle for his eighth World Championship.
  2006
• Michael Schumacher: The Definitive Race-by-Race Record of His Grand Prix Career Here is the ultimate pictorial reference book on Michael Schumacher, the Grand Prix driver.
  1997
• Michael Schumacher: The Rise of a Genius This biography of Michael Schumacher describes all of his childhood, his exceptional career, and his secrets.
  1997
• 101 Amazing Facts about Michael Schumacher This fantastic book contains over one hundred amazing facts about the legendary racing king, covering everything from his upbringing to his controversial moments, his days of unsurpassed glory and his tragic skiing accident at the end of 2013.
  2014
• Michael Schumacher: The Ferrari Years Lavishly illustrated and packed with information, this book takes the story right up to the present with a detailed examination of Schumacher's extraordinary career since joining Ferrari in 1996.
  2000
• Michael Schumacher This work recounts the life and driving career of the German Formula One auto racing star.
  1999
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