Michael Schumacher is arguably the greatest driver in Formula 1 history. He won a total of 7 Championships over the course of his incredible career. He has also racked up 91 race wins, which was the record until it was beaten by Lewis Hamilton in 2020.
Over the course of his career, Michael Schumacher has driven for a number of teams. However, he has only won Championships with 2. In 1991, Michael Schumacher made his debut with the Jordan F1 team. He stepped in during the Belgian Grand Prix to replace Bertrand Gachot, who was sentenced to 2 months of jail at the time.
In his debut Grand Prix weekend, Michael put the Jordan 191 in 7th on the grid for the race. However, a mechanical issue with the car forced him to retire during the race. However, this did not stop other teams from approaching him.
With 5 more races remaining in the 1991 season after the Belgian Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher signed with Benetton for the remainder of the season. He only agreed to race for the Belgian Grand Prix for Jordan.
Michael Schumacher’s first championships
With Benetton, the young German found some success in his first couple of years. In the 1992 season, he finished P3 in the WDC. The next year he finished P4. After that, Benetton stepped up their game and was able to build a Championship contender.
In 1994, Michael Schumacher won his first Championship after a close battle with Damon Hill and the Williams. He was able to win the Championship the following year as well.
Despite the success he faced with Benetton in 1994 and 1995, Michael Schumacher decided to sign with Ferrari in the 1996 season. The Benetton team was surprised and disappointed by this move from Schumacher. The team boss, Flavio Briatore still believes that Schumacher could have won the 1996 Championship if he had stayed with Benetton.
Michael Schumacher in red
From the 1996 season, Michael Schumacher decided to drive for Ferrari. Ferrari has always been a legendary team in Formula 1. Winning a Championship with Ferrari has always been a dream for most Formula 1 drivers.
However, at the time, Ferrari was struggling with the performance of the car. They suffered multiple issues for the next few years. With the help of Michael Schumacher, they were able to fight their way back to the top.
By 1999, they had built a Championship-winning car for Schumacher to win with. However, a broken leg caused by an accident during the weekend of the British Grand Prix in Silverstone prevented him from fighting for the Championship. He returned to the wheel of the car after missing 7 races including the British Grand Prix. He finished 2nd in the remaining 2 races of the 1999 season.
The 2000 season sparked the domination era of Michael Schumacher and Ferrari. Over the next 5 years, Michael and Ferrari would go on to win the WDC and WCC. This domination was finally put to an end by Fernando Alonso and Renault who won the Championship in 2005 and 2006.
During the Italian Grand Prix of the 2006 season, Michael Schumacher announced his retirement from the sport after the 2006 season.
Michael’s comeback to Formula 1
After retiring after the 2006 season, The German Champion chose to return to Formula 1 with the newly formed Mercedes team. He was convinced to return by his old race engineer, Ross Brawn who managed the team at the time.
Michael drove for Mercedes from 2010 to 2012. He was replaced by Lewis Hamilton, who would go on to break his records with the team. During his tenure with Mercedes, Schumacher was not able to add much to his track record. However, he did get a podium finish during the 2012 European Grand Prix which was held in Valencia.
After the 2012 season, he retired for the final time. A year after retiring, Schumacher suffered a skiing accident that would ruin his retirement. Although his exact current condition is not known to the public, we do know that he is conscious and able to respond. However, he is not the same.
His son Mick Schumacher has made his way to Formula 1. He drove for the Haas F1 team for 2 years in 2021 and 2022 and is now serving as a reserve driver for the Mercedes F1 team.
