SUMMARY
- The Schumacher family had to cope with immense financial constraint while pursuing F1 careers for both Michael and Ralf.
- Michael's first-ever Go-Kart was built from a motorcycle engine.
In the world of Formula 1, one name stands out the most among the legends, leaving a mark on the sport’s history- Michael Schumacher. Born in Hürth, West Germany, Michael has been awarded the Formula One World Championship 7 times.
His tight corner-cutting on the track, best lap times, and almost always getting the pole position, made him such a phenomenal driver on the circuit. Michael’s streak of winning titles was with Ferrari, the then-struggling team in Formula 1.
Michael’s brother Ralf Schumacher was also an F1 driver for the teams Williams and Toyota. They remain the only two brothers who came first and second in a Grand Prix. Michael also had a stepbrother Sebastian Stahl, who was also a German racing driver in the endurance series.
Michael retired from the Formula 1 series in 2006 and returned for a brief time period from 2010- 2012. Ralf Schumacher on the other hand, retired in 2008 and joined the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters in 2008, achieving minor success, and retired from motorsport at the end of 2012.
Michael Schumacher parents: Were Rolf and Elisabeth Schumacher really rich?
Michael came from a very humble family background, with his father working as a bricklayer and a homemaker mother. His father Rolf, took on a second job and started working on Kart Tracks and renting them, and his mother Elisabeth, started working in the track canteen to support their child.
(Credits: Santander Formula 1, Reddit)
At the age of four, Schumacher’s father modified his pedal cart with a motorcycle engine. After crashing it into a pole, Michael’s parents enrolled him in a Kart club where he was the youngest member.
Since they came from a middle-class, humble background, affording mechanical parts was always a hustle. Michael’s father built him a Kart from discarded parts and at the age of six, Michael won his first club championship. Although Michael’s parents were working two jobs, it was still inadequate.
When one time Michael needed a new engine costing 800 DM, his parents could not afford it; if it not had been for the local businessman, Michael would not have been able to continue racing. In 2022, after almost being demolished, Michael’s famous Kart track was to be modernized so that it could host World Championship events again.
The story of Michael Schumacher lives on even after his retirement or the Skiing accident. The world had not seen such a phenomenal racing driver before and his legacy lives on.
