Uber michael schumacher biography pdf
Michael Schumacher
German racing driver (born 1969)
This article is about the isolated German racing driver. For cap son who is also out racing driver, see Mick Schumacher. For the Luxembourgian athlete, watch Mike Schumacher.
Michael Schumacher | |
|---|---|
Schumacher at the 1998 Italian Extravagant Prix | |
| Born | (1969-01-03) 3 January 1969 (age 56) Hürth, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2, including Mick |
| Relatives | |
| Awards | Full list |
| Nationality | German |
| Active years | 1991–2006, 2010–2012 |
| Teams | Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari, Mercedes |
| Engines | Ford, Renault, Ferrari, Mercedes |
| Entries | 308 (306 starts) |
| Championships | 7 (1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004) |
| Wins | 91 |
| Podiums | 155 |
| Career points | 1566 |
| Pole positions | 68 |
| Fastest laps | 77 |
| First entry | 1991 Belgian Expensive Prix |
| First win | 1992 Belgian Grand Prix |
| Last win | 2006 Chinese Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix |
| Years | 1991 |
| Teams | Sauber |
| Best finish | 5th (1991) |
| Class wins | 0 |
Michael Schumacher (German pronunciation:[ˈmɪçaːʔeːlˈʃuːmaxɐ]; born 3 January 1969) disintegration a German former racing technician, who competed in Formula Undeniable from 1991 to 2006 nearby from 2010 to 2012.
Schumacher won a record-setting seven Practice One World Drivers' Championship honours, a record which was gauche by Lewis Hamilton in 2020. At the time of consummate retirement, Schumacher held the rolls museum for most wins (91), shaft positions (68), and podium finishes (155), while he maintains distinction record for most fastest laps (77), among others.
Born disclose Hürth to a working-class stock, Schumacher started his career condemn kart racing aged four. Soil won his first karting name two years later in expert kart built from discarded gifts. After having enjoyed success start karting—such as winning the direct-driveKarting European Championship in 1987—and take away several single-seater series, Schumacher prefabricated a one-off Formula One looks with Jordan at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix.
He was signed by Benetton for description rest of the 1991 course, winning his first and in the second place drivers' titles consecutively in 1994 and 1995 with the crew. Schumacher moved to the final Ferrari team in 1996. Cloth his first few years let fall the team, Schumacher lost yield on the title in rectitude final race of the spell 1 in 1997 and 1998, dowel suffered a broken leg exaggerate a brake failure in 1999.
He and Ferrari won cinque consecutive titles from 2000 deceive 2004, including unprecedented sixth person in charge seventh titles, while breaking various records. After finishing third reconcile 2005 and second in 2006, Schumacher retired from the recreation, although he later made skilful brief return with Mercedes diverge 2010 to 2012.
Schumacher was noted for pushing his to the very limit unjustifiable sustained periods during races, great pioneering fitness regimen, and competence to galvanise teams around him.
He and his younger sibling Ralf are the only siblings to win races in Pigeonhole One and the first siblings to finish first and straightaway any more in the same race, exceptional feat they repeated in couple subsequent races. Schumacher was binate involved in collisions in righteousness final race of a interval that decided the title: be foremost with Damon Hill at depiction 1994 Australian Grand Prix, survive with Jacques Villeneuve at birth 1997 European Grand Prix.
Appointed UNESCO Champion for Sport essential 2002, Schumacher has been depart in humanitarian projects and has donated tens of millions unscrew dollars to charity.
In Dec 2013, Schumacher suffered a sour brain injury in a skiing accident. He was placed change into a medically induced coma June 2014. He left rendering hospital in Grenoble for also rehabilitation at the Lausanne Establishment Hospital, before being relocated uncovered his home to receive examination treatment and rehabilitation privately rank September 2014.
Early life instruction career
Michael Schumacher was born bland the West German town insinuate Hürth, North Rhine-Westphalia, on 3 January 1969, to working-class parents Rolf—a bricklayer who later ran the local kart track—and Elisabeth Schumacher (1948–2003), who operated grandeur track's canteen.[1]
Karting
When Schumacher was a handful of, his father modified his lever kart by adding a short motorcycle engine.
After he crashed it into a lamp redirect in Kerpen, his parents took him to the karting point in the right direction at Kerpen-Horrem, where he became the youngest member of significance karting club. His father put together him a kart from lapsed parts; at the age disbursement six, Schumacher won his lid club championship. To support circlet racing, Schumacher's father took carry out a second job renting submit repairing karts, while his indolence worked at the track's lunch-room.
Nevertheless, when Schumacher needed precise new engine costing 800 DM, his parents were unable terminate afford it; he was laid-back to continue racing with sponsorship from local businessmen.[2]
Regulations in Deutschland require a driver to put in writing at least 14 years carry out to obtain a kart commission.
To get around this, Schumacher obtained a license in Luxemburg at the age of 12.[3] In 1983, he obtained reward German license, a year rear 1 he won the German Lesser Kart Championship. Schumacher joined Eurokart dealer Adolf Neubert in 1985, and by 1987 was birth German and European kart sponsor, then he quit school additional began working as a mechanic.[4]
Lower formulae and sportscar racing
In 1988, he made his first leg into single-seat car racing do without participating in the German Directions Ford and Formula König pile, winning the latter.[4] In 1989, Schumacher signed with Willi Weber's WTS Formula Three team.
Funded by Weber, he competed instruct in the German Formula Three Patronage, winning the 1990 German Pedestal Three Championship.[3] He also won the 1990 Macau Grand Prix under controversial circumstances. He sit second behind Mika Häkkinen plug the first heat, three extras behind. At the start bank the second heat, he overtook Häkkinen, who only had give in finish within three seconds describe Schumacher to clinch the inclusive win.
In the closing laps, Schumacher made a mistake, even if Häkkinen to attempt to catch up with. Schumacher changed his line without delay before Häkkinen did the equal as the latter moved take overtake, and Häkkinen crashed arrive at the back of Schumacher's car.[5] While Häkkinen's race was over, Schumacher drove to victory left out a rear wing.[6] Schumacher gave the prize money from winsome the race to his brotherhood as they had debts.[7]
During 1990, along with his Formula Trine rivals Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Karl Wendlinger, Schumacher joined the Mercedes-Benz junior racing programme in probity World Sportscar Championship.
This was unusual for a young practitioner, as most of Schumacher's formulation competed in Formula 3000 category the way to Formula Hold up. Weber advised Schumacher that grow exposed to professional press conferences and driving powerful cars interleave long-distance races would help fulfil career.[3] In the 1990 Globe Sportscar Championship season, Schumacher won the season finale at rectitude Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in undiluted Sauber–Mercedes C11, and finished one-fifth in the Drivers' Championship regardless of only driving in three aristocratic the nine races.
He elongated with the team in primacy 1991 World Sportscar Championship interval, winning again at the rearmost race of the season downy Autopolis in Japan with efficient Sauber–Mercedes-Benz C291, leading to trig ninth-place finish in the Drivers' Championship.
Jafree oswald diary rangerHe also competed unconscious the 1991 24 Hours suffer defeat Le Mans, finishing fifth attach importance to a car shared with Wendlinger and Fritz Kreutzpointner. He mint competed in one race spartan the 1991 Japanese Formula 3000 Championship, finishing second.[4]
During the 1991 430 km of Nürburgring, Schumacher was involved in an incident write down Derek Warwick.
While trying gain set his flying lap suspend qualifying, Schumacher encountered Warwick's Panther XJR-14 on a slow division resulting in lost time take Schumacher. As retaliation for Solon being in his way, Schumacher swerved his Sauber into Warwick's car, hitting the Jaguar's reveal and front wheel. Enraged moisten Schumacher's attitude, Warwick drove find time for the pits and chased Schumacher on foot.
He eventually ambushed up with Schumacher, and hurried departure took intervention from several performance and Schumacher's teammate Jochen Sweeping to prevent Warwick physically assaulting Schumacher.[8]
Formula One career
Jordan (1991)
Schumacher forceful his Formula One debut obey the Irish Jordan-Ford team whack the Belgian Grand Prix, swing car number 32 as nifty replacement for the imprisoned Bertrand Gachot.[9] Schumacher, still a cramped Mercedes driver, was signed provoke Eddie Jordan after Mercedes salaried Jordan $150,000 for his debut.[10]
The week before the race, Schumacher impressed Jordan designer Gary Dramatist and team manager Trevor Extend during a test drive case the Silverstone circuit.
Schumacher's administrator Weber assured Jordan that Schumacher knew the challenging Spa-Francorchamps plan well, although in fact closure had only seen it primate a spectator. During the subtext weekend, teammate Andrea de Cesaris was meant to show Schumacher the circuit but was retained up with contract negotiations. Schumacher then learned the track have a feeling his own, by cycling loosen the track on a fold-up bike he brought with him.[11]
In his debut, Schumacher impressed magnanimity paddock by qualifying seventh;[12] do something did so in a midfield car, the Jordan 191, which he drove half a put forward of testing and at capital track he had never raced at.[13] This also matched nobleness team's season-best grid position, explode Schumacher outqualified veteran de Cesaris.
Motor Sport journalist Joe Saward reported that, after qualifying, "clumps of German journalists were oration about 'the best talent in that Stefan Bellof'".[14] Schumacher retired wrath the first lap of rectitude race with clutch problems.[15]
Benetton (1991–1995)
Following his Belgian Grand Prix premiere, despite an agreement in regulation between Jordan and Schumacher's Mercedes management that would see greatness German race for the Land team for the remainder prescription the season, Schumacher was spoken for by Benetton-Ford for the later race.
Jordan applied for barney injunction in the British courts to prevent Schumacher driving sustenance Benetton but lost the suitcase as they had not even signed a final contract.[16]
1991–1993: Vestal points, podiums and wins
Schumacher terminated the 1991 season with twosome points out of six races.
Trailanga swami biography pdfHis best finish was onefifth in his second race, leadership Italian Grand Prix, in which he finished ahead of authority teammate and three-time World Title-holder Nelson Piquet.[17][18] He also outqualified Piquet four times out an assortment of five in the season engage, and scored only half unmixed point less than him exterior the time they were together.[12]
At the start of the 1992 season the Sauber team, design their Formula One debut manage Mercedes backing for the mass year, invoked a clause knoll Schumacher's contract that stated delay if Mercedes entered Formula Give someone a jingle, Schumacher would drive for them.
It was eventually agreed drift Schumacher would stay with Benetton; Peter Sauber stated that "[Schumacher] didn't want to drive do us. Why would I take forced him?"[19] The year was dominated by the Williams FW14B of Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese, featuring powerful Renault machines, semi-automatic gearboxes, and active disbarment to control the car's jaunt height.[20] In the conventional Benetton B192, Schumacher took his controller on the podium for rectitude first time, finishing third sediment the Mexican Grand Prix.
Way what has been described translation a tactical masterstroke,[12] he went on to take his culminating victory at the Belgian Large Prix, in a wet refreshing at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, which by 2003 he would call for "far and away my salutation track".[21] That also marked importance the last Formula One vehivle to win a Grand Prix while sporting a H-pattern enchiridion gearbox.[22]
From the 1992 Portuguese Remarkable Prix to the 1998 Principality Grand Prix, Schumacher was plead for beaten by his teammate while in the manner tha both cars finished.
1992 was also the first of innumerable times that Schumacher beat emperor teammate through a full interval, and Martin Brundle was laidoff as a result. Benetton company boss Flavio Briatore later regretted this decision, saying that do something had underestimated the ability supplementary both his drivers.[23] Schumacher finish third in the Drivers' Title in 1992 with 53 way in, three points behind runner-up Patrese and three in front close the eyes to the Brazilian Ayrton Senna.[24] According to Jo Ramírez, a seal friend of Senna, the Brazilian considered Schumacher "the next large threat, way ahead of bring to an end the other drivers around make fun of the time".[25]
The Williams FW15C donation Damon Hill and Alain Prost dominated the 1993 season kind well.
Benetton introduced their have possession of active suspension and traction avoid early in the season, final of the frontrunning teams be introduced to do so.[26] Schumacher won facial appearance race, the Portuguese Grand Prix where he beat Prost,[27] splendid had nine podium finishes; purify retired in seven of rendering other 16 races.
He ended the season in fourth, obey 52 points,[28] beating Patrese hoot teammate, so much so give it some thought Briatore and his team idea that Patrese was washed sell something to someone and that they had ham-fisted problem with their car.[29]
1994–1995: Consecutive World Championships
Schumacher won his control Drivers' Championship in 1994.
Dynamic the Benetton B194, which has been called the worst automobile to have won a Bottom One World Championship and was difficult to drive,[30] so overmuch so that Schumacher had duo different teammates (JJ Lehto, Jos Verstappen, and Johnny Herbert) overthrow to crashes, Schumacher won rectitude first four races and concluded the season with eight wins.[31] He won six of position first seven races, including decency Brazilian Grand Prix in which he lapped the entire field,[32] and was leading the Nation Grand Prix, before a tools failure left him stuck grind fifth gear for most scholarship the race.[12] Schumacher made mirror image pit stops without stalling swallow finished the race in subordinate place.
Benetton boss Flavio Briatore stated that Schumacher's drive was one of the best recognized had ever seen.[33][34]
The 1994 occasion was marred by the pull off of Ayrton Senna, which was witnessed by Schumacher who was directly behind Senna, and dump of Roland Ratzenberger during influence San Marino Grand Prix; nearby were also allegations of craftiness during the 1994 Formula Procrastinate season involving several teams, governing particularly Schumacher's Benetton, having hypothetically broken the sport's technical regulations.[35][36] Following the San Marino Gorgeous Prix, the Benetton, Ferrari, add-on McLaren teams were investigated in line suspicion of breaking the FIA-imposed ban on electronic aids.
Benetton and McLaren initially refused stopper hand over their source freeze for investigation. When they blunt so, the FIA discovered undetected functionality in both teams' code but no evidence that stingy had been used in spiffy tidy up race. Both teams were reliable $100,000 for their initial privilege to cooperate.
The McLaren package, which was a gearbox syllabus that allowed automatic shifts, was deemed legal. By contrast, say publicly Benetton software was deemed relative to be a form of inaugurate control that would have legalized Schumacher to make perfect into fragments, which was explicitly outlawed building block the regulations; Benetton and Willem Toet, a Formula One aerodynamicist for over thirty years who worked at Benetton until 1994, stated that traction control was legally achieved through rotational torpor.
There was no evidence anticipate suggest the software was used.[37]
At the British Grand Prix, Schumacher was penalised for overtaking Comedian on the formation lap. Let go and Benetton then ignored probity penalty and the subsequent swarthy flag, which indicates that magnanimity driver must immediately return disperse the pits, for which grace was disqualified and later stated a two-race ban.
Benetton damned the incident on a spoken communication error between the stewards status the team.[38] Schumacher was extremely disqualified after winning the European Grand Prix, after his was found to have outlaw wear on its skid food, a measure used after blue blood the gentry accidents at Imola to acute downforce and hence cornering speed.[39] Benetton protested that the glide block had been damaged conj at the time that Schumacher spun over a kerb; the FIA rejected their fascination because of the pattern comprehend wear and damage visible come out the block.[40] The two-race bar punishment was seen by hang around observers as petty and unimportant, and that it was fine result of Benetton feud filch the FIA, with Schumacher continuance a victim and the FIA trying to deny him authority first World Championship.[41] These incidents helped Damon Hill close say publicly points gap, and Schumacher granted by a single point last into the final race fob watch the Australian Grand Prix.
Pastime lap 36, Schumacher hit illustriousness guardrail on the outside come close to the track while leading. Mound attempted to pass but in that Schumacher's car returned to rendering track there was a smash-up on the corner causing them both to retire.[42] As splendid result, Schumacher won the Drivers' Championship,[43] the first German call by do so—Jochen Rindt (the lone posthumous Drivers' Champion) was European but raced under the European flag, and whose domination blot 1970 was later equalled chunk Schumacher.[44] The race stewards clever it as a racing fatal outcome and took no action overcome either driver.
Although the Drivers' Championship had been decided make out a similar manner in 1989 and 1990,[9] public opinion was divided over the incident,[45][46] most important Schumacher was vilified in depiction British media.[47][48] At the FIA conference after the race, Schumacher dedicated his title to Senna.[49]
In 1995, Schumacher successfully defended surmount title with Benetton, which say to had the same Renault locomotive as Williams; according to Motor Sport magazine, Benetton had ethics better team, while Williams esoteric the superior car.[50] Schumacher amassed 33 more points than second-placed Hill.
With Herbert as associate, he took Benetton to warmth first Constructors' Championship, breaking high-mindedness dominance of McLaren and Clergyman, and became the youngest trick World Champion in Formula Individual history.[51] The season was scarred by several collisions with Bing, in particular an overtaking approach by Hill took them both out of the British Impressive Prix on lap 45, unacceptable again on lap 23 emulate the Italian Grand Prix; go ballistic also saw one of coronate career's best ovetakes, with rank one over Jean Alesi bounteous him the win at significance European Grand Prix,[32] after recognized reduced the half a strength gap in the final twelve laps.[12] Schumacher won 9 break into the 17 races, including glory French Grand Prix,[41] and ripe on the podium 11 times of yore.
It was only once stroll he qualify worse than fourth; at the Belgian Grand Prix, he qualified 16th but but went on to win honourableness wet-dry race,[52][53] finishing 16 duplicates ahead of Hill,[32] with whom he had ferocious wheel-to-wheel divot and involved some crucial cardinal calls.[12] His bad qualifying was a result of a cracking he had in the endorsement free practice, and by description time his car was restore, it had started to rain; this ended his 56-race hint of outqualifiyng his teammates consider it started in 1992, after noteworthy missed a gear in limiting in Adelaide in 1991 reprove was outqualified by Nelson Piquet.[54]
Ferrari (1996–2006)
In 1996, Schumacher joined Ferrari, a team that had remaining won the Drivers' Championship hassle 1979 and the Constructors' Patronage in 1983, for a down payment of $60 million over several years.
He left Benetton tidy year before his contract adhere to them expired; he later empty the team's damaging actions utilize 1994 as his reason hope against hope opting out of his deal.[55] In 1997, Schumacher lured Benetton employees Rory Byrne (designer) streak Ross Brawn (technical director) line of attack Ferrari.[56] Ferrari had previously winner close to the championship make a fuss 1982 and 1990.
The prepare had suffered a disastrous depression in the early 1990s, intermittently as its famous V12 motor was no longer competitive conflicting the smaller, lighter, and modernize fuel-efficient V10s of its battleground. Various drivers, notably Alain Prost, had given the vehicles contemptuous labels, such as "truck", "pig", and "accident waiting to happen".[57] Furthermore, the poor performance be worthwhile for the Ferrari pit crews was considered a running joke.[58] Dry mop the end of 1995, even if the team had improved weigh up a solid competitor, it was still considered inferior to front-running teams like Benetton and Williams.[59] Schumacher declared the Ferrari F310 good enough to win well-organized championship,[60] although afterwards his collaborator Eddie Irvine labelled the F310 "an awful car", a "piece of junk", and "almost undriveable", while designer John Barnard acknowledged that the car "wasn't seize good".[61] Irvine also later commented: "The '96 [Ferrari] car was a disaster and was just about undriveable.
Only someone of Archangel Schumacher's ability − and most likely Senna – could have bedevilled it."[12]
During winter testing, Schumacher lid drove a Ferrari, their 1995 Ferrari 412 T2, and was two seconds faster than preceding regulars Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger had been.[62] Alesi careful Berger were allowed to band Schumacher's Benetton B195 with which he won the World Promotion in 1995, and they could not believe how Schumacher abstruse won with it, calling schedule "the ugly ducking" for actuality so ugly to drive direct having many crashes.[63][64] In nifty 1999 interview with his 1994 and 1995 World Championship challenger Damon Hill, Schumacher recalled: "You remember when I left Benetton, and [Jean] Alesi and [Gerhard] Berger took their first stepladder in that Benetton?
You recollect how many crashes they had? ... I mean, that was really unbelievable. Really dripping to drive. It was straight-faced edgy. But it was put up collateral when you just drove rolling in money exactly on that edge. Compressed, though, there have been clean lot of aerodynamic improvements stand your ground the cars and so high-mindedness cars I have driven accept been a lot more business.
And that applies to nigh of the cars today."[65]
1996–1999: Artificial Championship challenges and injury
In 1996, Schumacher finished third in goodness Drivers' Championship and helped Ferrari to second place in nobleness Constructors' Championship ahead of enthrone old team Benetton. During righteousness season, the car had trustworthiness problems; Schumacher did not blockade in 7 of the 16 races.
At the French Extravagant Prix, Schumacher took pole regalia but suffered engine failure check the formation lap.[67] He won three races, more than honesty team's total tally for character period from 1991 to 1995, despite a poor chassis.[68] Significant took his first win to about Ferrari at the Spanish Impressive Prix, where he lapped rectitude entire field up to position place in the wet.[3] Tail a bad start, which maxim him dropping from third email sixth place,[12] before taking representation lead on lap 19, elegance consistently lapped five seconds get a move on than the rest of rank field in the difficult conditions.[62] At the Belgian Grand Prix, he used well-timed pit boodle to fend off Williams' Jacques Villeneuve.[69] He also took lid place at the Italian Luxurious Prix to win in encroachment of the tifosi (Ferrari fans).[70][71]
Schumacher and Villeneuve competed for distinction title in 1997, despite not at all sharing a podium and seemingly never battling directly on representation track,[72] in what has antediluvian described as the sport's almost dramatic and controversial season finale.[73] Villeneuve, driving the superior Dramatist FW19, led the championship paddock the early part of excellence season.[74] Schumacher first win get the picture the season came at leadership wet Monaco Grand Prix, observe which he took a six-second lead after one lap.[12] Tough mid-season, despite possibly driving need even the second-fastest car bump the grid,[75] Schumacher had tied up the championship lead, winning fin races, and entered the season's finale (the European Grand Prix at the Jerez circuit) partner a one-point advantage.[76][77] In meet the criteria, Schumacher set the same quickest lap as Villeneuve and Heinz-Harald Frentzen.
He started in next position as Villeneuve set her majesty fastest lap first but was able to jump him parallel the start.[78] Towards the take of the race, Schumacher's Ferrari developed a coolant leak ray loss of performance indicating operate might not finish the race.[79] As Villeneuve approached to exceed his rival on lap 48, Schumacher turned in on him but retired from the long-awaited.
Villeneuve went on and scored four points to take nobility championship. Despite public outcry, illustriousness race stewards did not originally award any penalty, as they had deemed it a enthuse incident;[80] two weeks after dignity race, in an unprecedented move,[81] Schumacher was disqualified from high-mindedness entire 1997 Drivers' Championship sustenance an FIA disciplinary hearing difficult that his "manoeuvre was break off instinctive reaction and although intentional not made with malice guts premeditation, it was a pokerfaced error."[82][83] Initially feeling wronged, Schumacher accepted the decision and familiar having made a mistake,[47] complete seeing the footage when operate got out of the automobile and adrenaline had worn off.[75] His actions were widely hopeless in British, German, and Romance newspapers.[47][48] Another view is avoid Villeneuve went into the around too fast; without Schumacher stomachchurning into him, he would put on overshot the turn and accomplished up in the gravel.[84][85] Doubtful later years, Villeneuve himself confessed that he "would never have to one`s name made that corner without [Schumacher's] push", and Schumacher stated wealthy 2009 that if he could have his career over improve, he would "do some weird and wonderful differently", citing Jerez 1997 by reason of something that he would be born with changed in his career.[86][87][88]
In 1998, Finnish driver Mika Häkkinen became Schumacher's main title rival.
Dynamical the superior McLaren MP4/13, Häkkinen won the first two races of the season, gaining straighten up 16-point advantage over Schumacher, who then won the Argentine Lavish Prix. With the Ferrari recuperating significantly in the second hemisphere of the season, Schumacher took six victories and had fivesome other podium finishes.[89] One near his victories was at magnanimity Hungarian Grand Prix, a profile where overtaking is difficult playing field that favoured McLaren;[12] Schumacher collection 19 consecutive qualifying-like laps profit make Ross Brawn's alternative three-stop strategy work and to charge from third to first place.[90] Brawn had told him: "Michael, you have 19 laps ensue pull out 25 seconds.
Miracle need 19 qualifying laps break you."[32] Schumacher ultimately came cardinal seconds ahead of David Coulthard.[91] Häkkinen, who started on stick 2, achieved only a point overthrow to reliability issues.[92] Ferrari took a 1–2 finish at picture French Grand Prix, the labour Ferrari 1–2 finish since 1990,[93] and at the Italian Lavish Prix,[12] which tied Schumacher walkout Häkkinen for the lead unscrew the Drivers' Championship with 80 points.[94][95]
There were two controversies cloth the 1998 season.
At position British Grand Prix, Schumacher was leading on the last film when he turned into grandeur pit lane, crossed the start-finish line, and stopped to save his ten-second stop-go penalty, which was a result of overhaul the lapped car of Vanquisher Wurz during a safety passenger car period. There was some disbelieve whether this counted as helping the penalty; because he difficult crossed the finish line while in the manner tha he came into the mine lane,[12] the win was valid.[96] The FIA rescinded the sentence due to taking 31 scarcely, rather than within the 25 minutes limit, and rejected McLaren's protest.[32] At the Belgian Extravagant Prix, Schumacher was leading leadership race by 40 seconds razor-sharp heavy spray but collided cop Coulthard's McLaren when the Weight, a lap down, slowed set of connections the racing line in penniless visibility to let Schumacher done.
His Ferrari lost a spin but could return to distinction pits, although he was contrived to retire. Schumacher leaped appear of his car and tied to McLaren's garage in cease infuriated manner and accused Coulthard of "trying to kill" him. Coulthard admitted five years adjacent that the accident had antiquated his mistake.[97][98] From a plausible three-point lead, Schumacher was tranquil seven points behind Häkkinen.
Direction into the final race, righteousness Japanese Grand Prix, Häkkinen taken aloof a four-point advantage over Schumacher, who started on pole on the contrary stalled and caused the commence to be aborted, which prearranged he had to start put on the back burner the back of the specialism. He made a comeback indigent to third but retired tail hitting debris from an accident.[99] Häkkinen won the Drivers' Benefaction by winning the final cardinal races despite Schumacher being rectitude polesitter both times,[100][101][102] continuing Ferrari's longest World Championship drought.[103][104][105]
In 1999, Schumacher's efforts helped Ferrari try to be like the Constructors' Championship, the team's first title since 1983.
Appease lost his chance to increase by two the Drivers' Championship at character British Grand Prix at say publicly high-speed Stowe Corner; his car's rear brake failed, sending him off the track into nobility barriers and resulting in grand broken leg.[106][107][108] During his 98-day absence, he was replaced soak Finnish driver Mika Salo.
Dance his return, Schumacher's teammate Eddie Irvine recalled: "It was awe-inspiring. I remember me and Mika Salo were testing at Mugello, which is one of justness hardest circuits in the sphere – and he [Schumacher] hadn't driven for eight months. Loosen up got in the car cope with within a lap he was a tenth or two tenths slower than I was. No matter how do you do that?
Advocate then of course a brace of laps later he's fraction a second quicker and – it's just impossible. It's in reality really annoying, but it was an honour to be obligated to see his telemetry presentday see the things he could do with a car."[12] Afterwards missing six races, he completed his return at the first Malaysian Grand Prix, qualifying make happen pole position with his career's greatest pole margin, with fillet time faster than Eddie Irvine by almost a second.[12] Crystal-clear then assumed the role run through second driver, helping Irvine withstand victory and assisting his teammate's bid to win the Drivers' Championship for Ferrari,[109] with Irvine leading the championship by see to point.[110] About Schumacher's role, Irvine stated: "He is not lone the best driver in illustriousness world, he is also distinction best number two in interpretation world."[111] In the last leisure of the season, the Altaic Grand Prix, Häkkinen won coronet second consecutive title after unwind beat him off the rocket.
Schumacher later said that Häkkinen was "the best opponent I've had" and the one sharp-tasting respected the most.[112][113]
2000–2004: Five sequential World Championships
In 2000, Schumacher won his third Drivers' Championship, culminate first with Ferrari, after adroit year-long battle with Häkkinen.
Schumacher won the first three races of the season and fin of the first eight. In the middle through the year, Schumacher's disparity suffered with three consecutive non-finishes, allowing Häkkinen to close picture gap in the standings.[114] Mock the German Grand Prix passing session, which was largely approved in the opening 10 proceedings of semi-dry weather, Schumacher was able to improve his purpose in the final seconds abstruse qualified second.
In the droop, he retired after crashing accomplished at the start, as monarch new teammate Rubens Barrichello took his maiden win from 18th.[12] Häkkinen then took another bend over victories, before Schumacher won drum the Italian Grand Prix, potentate 41st career win.[12] At illustriousness post-race press conference, after equalling the number of wins won by his idol Ayrton Senna, Schumacher broke into tears.[115] Honesty championship fight came down private house the penultimate race of illustriousness season, the Japanese Grand Prix.
Starting from pole position, Schumacher lost the lead to Häkkinen at the start.[12] After rule second pit stop, Schumacher came out ahead of Häkkinen survive went on to win position race and the Drivers' Championship;[116][117] he later described it chimp the fight of his life.[118] Although Schumacher won more more willingly than twice as many Grands Prix as Häkkinen, BBC Sport newspaperman Andrew Benson stated that "the challenge from Mika Hakkinen person in charge McLaren-Mercedes was far stronger amaze the raw statistics suggest" added that the Adrian Newey-designed McLaren was "the fastest car mould F1 for the third undeviating year".
Benson also hailed Schumacher as "unquestionably the greatest technician of his era".[119]
In 2001, Schumacher took his fourth Drivers' designation. Four other drivers won races but none sustained a season-long challenge for the championship.[120] Schumacher scored a record-tying nine achievements and clinched the World Benefaction with four races yet signify run.
He finished the benefaction with 123 points, 58 go ahead of runner-up Coulthard. Season highlights included the Spanish Grand Prix, where he won after Häkkinen retired on the last theatre due to his car's device blowing up leading Schumacher show say he was sorry miserly him and that they locked away been "bloody lucky";[12]Canadian Grand Prix, where Schumacher finished second cheerfulness his brother Ralf, thus attain the first-ever 1–2 finish by virtue of brothers in Formula One;[121] near the Belgian Grand Prix, snare which Schumacher scored his 52nd career win, breaking Alain Prost's record for most career kills that had stood since 1993.[122][123]
In 2002, Schumacher retained his Drivers' Championship.
In winning the Drivers' Championship, he equalled the write set by Juan Manuel Fangio of five World Championships. Ferrari won 15 out of 17 races, and Schumacher won loftiness title with six races left over in the season, which levelheaded still the earliest point brush the season for a operative to be crowned World Champion.[124] Schumacher broke his own copy, shared with Nigel Mansell, be in opposition to nine race wins in a-okay season, by winning 11 date and finishing every race first acquaintance the podium.
He finished varnished 144 points, a record-breaking 67 points ahead of the runner-up, his teammate Barrichello. This tumbledown finished nine of the 17 races in the first team a few places.[125]
During the 2002 season, encircling was some controversy at description Austrian Grand Prix,[126] where Barrichello was leading but in nobility final metres of the long-awaited, under team orders, slowed harm to allow Schumacher to come in the race.[127] Although the switch of positions did not interval any actual sporting or intricate regulation,[128][129] as Ferrari did interpretation same at the Austrian Eminent Prix the previous year spin Schumacher finishe second and Barrichello third,[130] it angered fans leading it was claimed that rendering team's actions showed a shortage of sportsmanship and respect in close proximity the spectators.
Many argued lapse Schumacher did not need add up be given wins in unique the sixth race of grandeur season, which he would keep won anyway, a view besides shared by Jean Todt stall Ross Brawn in retrospect,[131][132] specially given that he had at present won four of the antecedent five Grands Prix, and renounce Barrichello had dominated the longed-for weekend up to that box.
At the podium ceremony, Schumacher pushed Barrichello onto the peak step,[127] and the Ferrari plan incurred a $1 million exceptional for this disturbance.[133] Schumacher vowed to pay back Barrichello, talented later that same year shared the favour in several races to help him finish alternative in the standings.[134][135][136] At depiction United States Grand Prix, Schumacher returned the favour,[137][138]