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Michael Schumacher: The film-ready career of the Formula 1 legend
In 1973 Schumacher found racing. At that time, he was still infinitely far from the red racing machines, which later became indispensable to him. At four, however, the kart track was open to him.
Michael Schumacher: With sweat and blood and dads help
The homebrew he designed with his father could be tested there on the kart track and the team of father and son improved the vehicle, which worked for a long time on the basis of a Kettcar with a 5-horsepower moped engine. Also the further career Michael Schumacher reads like an underdog story.
Schumi was the youngest kart driver in Germany
In full awareness of the technical inferiority of his own building Schumi intensified his training. So he drove his laps in inappropriate weather and improved his control over the vehicle on and on. He quickly started winning races and soon became known as the youngest kart driver in the Federal Republic. Also, the move of the club offers the Schumacher family a chance and Michael the opportunity to deepen his hobby.
Schumacher's parents brought every victim for his success
The parents promoted their son as best they could and did everything they could to make their son's racing career possible. But despite the position of the Platzwarts, his father and the possibility for the mother to run the catering on the racetrack, it needed financially strong sponsors. The first supporter of this kind was a local cart dealer, who saw the victories of Schumacher as a welcome advertisement. He equipped Schumi, as Michael Schumacher would later be fondly called by his fans, with his first rule-compliant racing kart.
Already in this time, Michael Schumacher meets rivals, with whom he will later compete in the higher performance classes. This is how he meets Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Mika Häkkinen and Nick Heidfeld for the first time on the kart track. Later, it also became apparent that Schumi could never quite say goodbye to his first love, the kart race, and was always racing again throughout his career.
The climb up to the Formula 1 peak
After the successes in the kart race Schumacher rose in 1987 in the formula king. He then became runner-up in Formula Ford and rose to Formula 3. There he finished second with Heinz-Harald Frenzen. It took until 1991 that Schumi should get a chance to be in one Formula 1To prove dare. The reason for this was a prison sentence, which served the then Formula 1 driver Bertrand Gachot, because he had attacked a taxi driver in the dispute with pepper spray.
This was the starting shot for Schumacher's career, first he started for the Jordan team. After just one race at Spa-Francorchamps, he joined Benetton. The entry into the team, however, was peppered with various legal hurdles. So wanted on the one hand, his old team not that he starts for the competition, and also the driver, should replace the Schumi, Roberto Moreno defended himself against the decision. Only a few minutes before the start of the Italian Grand Prix, a court ruled that Schumi was allowed to race for Benetton and relinquished Moreno after earning a severance pay.
Despite these obstacles, Schumacher was able to successfully enter his first Grad Prix in 1991 and clinched his first championship points in fifth place in the race. Already in the following year Schumi reached the third place in the driver's overall ranking. It should take until 1994 that the Schumacher era should begin in Formula One.
Schumacher's change to Ferrari with hurdles
After Schumi had won his first world title in 1994 with the team Benetton, the change to Ferrari should take place. Despite strict secrecy, Schumi's manager Wind had learned that there was a notable salary difference between the drivers. With this pressure he was able to halve the duration of the three-year contract and pave the way to Ferrari. Nevertheless, Schumi also won the 1995 World Cup for Team Benetton. In a rarely seen sporting gesture his arch-rival Damon Hill, who had failed for this race, applauded.
The following season 1996 Schumi began his contract with Ferarri. Although he did not immediately enter another world title, but was able to retake for Ferrari, the best results since 1990. The expectations were great, so the Ferrari boss once said that Ferrari would either world champion with Schumacher or never again. In the season Damon Hill and teammate Jacques Villeneuve made it to the podium in front of him.
In 1997, Schumacher retired prematurely after a successful season. He had provoked a collision at the Grand Prix of Europe and was excluded because of unsportsmanlike conduct. The following year, however, Schumi could claim the title of vice-champion for themselves.
With over 100 things in the off
In 1999, it came to a dramatic technical error. At the Great Britain Grand Prix, the brakes on the Ferrari failed. The monitors in the box showed a speed of 107 km / h just before Schumi drove into the piled-up tires that bound the racetrack. The injury interruption due to a broken right lower leg lasted six races.
In his comeback Schumi shone again. But despite excellent performance, it was enough for Ferrari this year only for the title in the Constructors Championship. At that time, the racing team had not achieved this for 16 years.
Schumi is unstoppable
With a thrilling 2000 season Michael Schumacher rides his first win in a series of successes. The conversion of the tires on Bridgestone further improved the competitiveness of Ferrari. This allows Schumi to secure his third world title and win the victory for Ferrari with team-mate Rubens Barrichello.
The entry into the 2001 season started with a shock. In training broke out at 280 km / h, the rear of his vehicle and he overturned twice. Miraculously, he remained uninjured. As if he was spurred on by the experience, he is already five races before the end of the season undisputed world champion. His point lead no longer catch up.
Wear mourning at the award ceremony
Also in the following season, the team Ferrari is hard to beat. But at the Grand Prix of Austria, Barrichello Schumacher has to pass because of strategic point reasons. At the awards ceremony, Schumacher shows his full appreciation as a sportsman and pushes his colleagues onto the podium, paying tribute to their better performance. The whole situation developed into a real scandal when Ferrari was sentenced to a heavy fine because Schumi Barrichello made the first place free. For many observers, the situation felt like a penalty for the given team order. Nevertheless, the season was overall great for Schumi and Ferrari. Again, the Formula 1 star had a lead six races before the end of the season secured him the world title prematurely.
2003 should be one of the hardest years for the Schumacher family. Not only did mishaps and mistakes at the start of the season make for a gap of 18 points in the overall standings. He won the Grand Prix of San Marino again, but the race should be overshadowed by the death of his mother Elisabeth Schumacher. On the winners' rostrum he wore a black ribbon on the sleeve of his pilot overalls and could not show any real joy.
With Ach and noise to the title
After the mourning phase, the fans saw Schumi rise to his usual size. At the Grand Prix in Austria, not even a fire that broke out in his car during a pit stop could disturb him. The fire was extinguished, the broken tank seal changed and Schumi was able to claim another victory. But the way to the sixth world title should not be easy and in between Ferrari misses the usual driving quality.
So Schumacher was outclassed in Hungary by its competitor Fernando Alonso. At the season finale, he started only in 14th position and finished the race with a plate eighth. This poetry was just enough for one point ahead and victory. With this title Michael Schumacher became the most successful racing driver of the Formula 1 history.
Schumi himself saw his success rather critically. He is accustomed to winning and not to be crowned winner by scant point decisions. Such a victory causes him mixed feelings. The title of the most successful driver, which he has retracted with the sixth title, but he should make so quickly no one in dispute.
The end of the Schumacher era
2005, the winning streak of Schumi in the red Ferrari should end for the time being. Schumi and Team Ferrari manage to prevail throughout the season. In retrospect, the tires are usually given as the cause, which wear out in the course of the race and thus suffered the mileage. In almost every race it became apparent that the tires did not reach the optimum temperature fast enough to provide sufficient grip in fast corners.
Especially on short distances, the team Ferrari was thus inferior in the sprint. But even with long-lasting races, the tire showed signs of slowing down. So also at the Hockenheimring in Germany. Here Schumi was passed from a stable second position to fifth place, as he had to slow down more in the corners, so as not to be thrown out of the curve.
Thus, the title of world champion in 2005 did not go to Michael Schumacher and the team Ferrari, but Fernado Alonso stands with his team Renault on top of the winner's podium. At the age of 24, the Spaniard becomes the youngest Formula 1 champion in history, putting Schumi's winning streak to an end after winning six world championship titles. The following year then the Rascasse affair was about to break Schumacher.
Schumacher is a scumbag
Another shadow spot in Schumacher's career was created in 2006. At the end of a qualifying race, he apparently lost control of the race for a short while and came to a halt in such a way that the yellow flag (overtaking ban / danger) had to be swung. Observers and competitors sharply criticized the incident. Schumacher's reasoning was very threadbare for all concerned.
His opponent Rosberg described Schumacher as a scumbag and even demanded the resignation from Formula 1, which would have done Schumi with the action of great damage. The judges, who after several hours of consultation came to the conclusion that it was a deliberate act, saw it in a similar way. As punishment Schumi had to give up the pole position and was placed at the end of the starting field. Schumacher always asserted his innocence in the case and apologized to everyone.
The end of a legend?
During his career, the question of Schumacher's resignation had always been answered with a quick and clear "no." The tone changed in 2006 and in September he announced his retirement at the end of the 2006 season at a press conference following his 90th Grand Prix victory.
His reason was that he was not sure if he would bring the necessary strength and energy for the sport in the future. In addition, the promising offspring already waiting, the experienced racer did not want to stand in the way. So Michael Schumacher ended his active racing career on October 22, 2006 with a fourth place on the track of São Paulo.
But Schumi can not keep his retirement and in 2010 he starts his comeback at Mercedes. But there was no sign of the old splendor. Instead, there were again irregularities that led to sanctions and debates. Schumacher was also unable to improve again in the coming years of 2011 and 2012 and achieved no more than eighth place in the overall standings three times in a row. As his three-year contract expires, he is not renewed by Mercedes and Schumi finally resigns as an active driver.
The ski accident that changed everything
Even after the end of his career Schumacher was socially involved. He participated in charity events and was named a Special Envoy by UNESCO in 2002 after spending a lot of time on the projects "Education for Children in Need".
2013 then the horror message. In a skiing accident, the former Formula 1 driver suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. His condition is so threatening that the doctors decide to put him into an artificial coma. Only after months of anxiety did the doctors report in April 2014 that he was showing signs of waking up. Shortly after, he came to himself again.
Meanwhile, Michael Schumacher is no longer in inpatient treatment and can continue his rehabilitation at home with the family. Since then he has been in relative seclusion. Reports about him are rarely leaked to the public, and since September 2014, there are no official statements about his state of health. But regardless of that, his fans remain loyal to him. This is thanks to Schumi not least his spokeswoman and manager Sabine Kehmwho cares about the Schumacher brand since the accident. So there is a Schumacher app that is free since the legendary 50th birthday and provides insights into the life of the racer.
luj / kum / news.de