Fiorano, Oct 13: A look at Michael Schumacher's career after he becomes the most successful Formula One driver in history.
Michael Schumacher of Germany roared into Formula One history in Japan on Sunday (October 12) as the first driver to win six world championships, writing a new chapter in an extraordinary story of success and achievement. The most successful driver of his era, and one of the most controversial, Schumacher stands alone after surpassing the late Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio's five crowns achieved between 1951 and 1957. Son of a bricklayer, who now owns a go-kart circuit in Kerpen near Cologne, Schumacher was born in Huerth-Hermuelheim on January 3, 1969. The man who would go on to become Germany's first and so far only Formula One world champion started karting at the age of four in a machine built by father Rolf and powered by a lawn-mower engine.


His graduation through the ranks from garage mechanic to rising star was helped by friends of his father and other business contacts until he teamed up with Weber in German Formula Three in 1989.

Schumacher's chance in Formula One came in 1991 after the Jordan team's Belgian driver Bertrand Gachot had been arrested for spraying banned CS gas in the face of a London cabbie after an altercation.


Casting around for a replacement, Eddie Jordan agreed to let Schumacher drive at the Belgian Grand Prix after the German's manager Willi Weber convinced him that his man was familiar with the Spa circuit.


In fact, the Mercedes-backed youngster had merely ridden around it on a bicycle. From the moment he got into the car, there was no looking back for a future champion whose remarkable qualities were immediately evident. Benetton snapped Schumacher up for the next race and the rest was history.


Schumacher's first win of the 70 he has achieved so far came at Spa in 1992, his first championship taken with Benetton in 1994 after Brazilian Senna was killed at Imola during the San Marino Grand Prix.


Senna's death robbed Formula One of what would have been an enthralling battle between two greats, the young pretender who had already moulded a team around him against the triple champion.


Briton Damon Hill stepped into the breach at Williams and his duels with Schumacher breathed fire and controversy into the championship.


The two collided in the 1994 title-deciding race in Australia, Schumacher claiming the crown in Adelaide after he pushed the Briton off the track.


In 1995, the German left no room for argument with a then-record nine wins -- surpassed last year when he took 11 -- for his second title before leaving for sleeping giants Ferrari in a move that would seal his fame.


Hill took his revenge in 1996 and the debacle of 1997, when Schumacher was stripped of his championship second place after trying to run Villeneuve off the road in the title decider, provided more controversy.


In 1999 he broke his leg in a crash at Silverstone but 2000, when the German finally secured Ferrari's first driver's title in 21 years, took the pressure off.



In his early days, he had acquired a reputation for haughtiness bordering on arrogance but success and domestic stability as well as a move from Monaco to Switzerland have brought a change of attitude.


Married to Corinna, he has two young children -- Gina Maria and Mick. Schumacher's love for racing, encouraged by mother Elisabeth who used to sell sausages at the Kerpen kart track and who died on the morning of his San Marino Grand Prix victory in April, appears to be undiminished.


For the past four years, Formula One has been a tale of Schumacher and Ferrari success and the German has said he wants to keep on winning for some time yet.


"I have had fighting for many, many years in Formula One with maybe not always the best car and I'm quite happy to have a certain time in my career to enjoy the times when we do," he said. "Other teams, other drivers had the luxury before, and now I have it. The world turns around and those things turn around as well, so let's see what the future brings."

Bureau Report