Who is Michael Schumacher?

Michael Schumacher needs little introduction. The seven-times world champion is often thought of as the best Formula One driver ever. But who is this academic World Champion? How did it all begin for the chouchou of Formula One?

Michael Schumacher was born on January 3, 1969 in Hürth-Hermülheim near Cologne, Germany. He is statistically the most successful Formula One driver ever, with not only the most career victories but also a record of seven championship titles.

Schumi started his career, as most Formula One drivers, racing karts at the age of four in a home-mad kart that was built by his father, Rolf, who managed the local karting track. He obtained his first license and began racing competitively by the age of twelve. Between 1984 and 1987, Michael won numerous German and European kart championships, including the Formula Konig series. In 1998, Schumi raced in the Formula Ford Series, while the next two years he competed in the German Formula 3 series, winning the tilte in 1990.
In 1991, he continued up the racing ladder, racing in the Formula 3000 championship in Japan. In the early '90s he also raced in the German Touring Car championship, winning races in Mexico City and at Autopolis.

In 1991, Schumi made his Formula One debut as a replacement driver for the imprisoned Bertrand Gashot. Eddie Jordan signed Michael for his Jordan team at the Belgian Grand Prix, where the young German astonished everybody by qualifying 7th, in his first competitive outing in a Formula One car. For the next race, he was signed on by Benetton-Ford and immediately showed great potential. In 1992, he won his first race in Belgium and he ended 3rd that year in the driver championship.

In 1994, the golden years started for the German. In that season, he won his first championship driving for Benetton in an extremely contested season. He won the first 4 races of the year but challenger Damon Hill got closer and closer in the standings, aided by two technical disqualifications of Schu's Benetton in Britain and Belgium. Leading by only a single point going into the final round in Australia, Schumi clinched the title after a collision with Hill ended both drivers' races. In 1995, Michael successfully defended his crown, winning the title easily by over 30 points from the second one in the championship, Damon Hill. With team mate Johnny Herbert, he also helped Benetton win his first (and only) Constructor Championship.
In his first two championship season, Michael Schumacher won 17 races, achieved 21 podiums and notched ten pole positions. During these 31 Grands Prix, he only once qualify worse than 4th position.

In 1996, Schumi signed a contract with the Scuderia Ferrari, which was a highly risky move, given Ferrari's championship drought. After several rebuilding years, Schumi helped Ferrari win the constructors' title in 1999. In 2000 it Michael would re-claim personal glory by winning his third drivers title (and Ferrari's first since 1979). During the 2001 season, being on his way to his fourth drivers title, Michael Schumacher broke Alain Prost's record for most Grand Prix wins. In 2002, it was again the German who took the championship crown. By winning his 5th drivers title, he matched the record set by Juan Manuel Fangio.
In 2003, Schumi could spray the champagne again to celebrate his 6th title.

In 2004, Michael thought it was time to break some other records. He won a record twelve of the first thirtheen races of the season and clinched his seventh drivers title where it all began for him, at the Belgian Grand Prix. He would finish the 2004 season with a record 148 points.

It hasn't always been shine for Michael. Since the death of Ayrton Senna in 1994, Schumi has been regarded as the fastest driver in F1 and the most dominant driver of his era. However, Schumacher's driving tactics have been called into question by some observers who noted that, in his early racing years, Schu had a tendency to crash into his rivals in championship-deciding races. Some observers considered his crashes to be deliberate attempts on Michael's behalf to take rivals out of a race, which, if true, would be not only bad sportsmanship but also incredibly dangerous.
The two most cited examples are the 1994 Australian Grand Prix, where a crash with Damon Hill in the last race of the year ensured Schumi of his first title, and the 1997 European Grand Prix, where a collision with eventual champion Jacques Villeneuve led to Schumacher's disqualification for dangerous driving.
The last years, though, his success with Ferrari and a more relaxed public perona rehablilitated Schumacher's image for most fans.

Michael Schumacher is married to Corinna Betsch since Tuesday 1st August 1995. The couple has two children Gina-Maria (1997) and Mick (1999). The familiy Schumacher lives in Vufflens-le-Châteai in Switzerland, near Lake Geneva.
Michael's six year younger brother, Ralf, is also an F1 driver (Panasonic Toyota Racing.
When he's not in an F1 car, Schumi likes to play football (what is to be seen in the anual charity footballmatches for UNICEF or other good causes), tennis, swimming and skiing.

Records:

* Most championship titles: 7
* Most fastest laps: 66
* Most wins: 83
* Most wins in a season: 13
* Most wins with the same team: 64 (Ferrari)
* Most podiums: 137
* Most podiums in a season: 17
* Most podiums with the same team: 99 (Ferrari)
* Most poles with the same team: 53 (Ferrari)
* Most second places: 36
* Most championship points: 1,186
* Most points in a season: 148
* Most time between first and last wins (12 years, 1 month, 10 days)