Name:
Michael Schumacher
Born: January 3rd
1969 in Hurt-Hermuhlheim (Germany)
Nationality:
German
Lives:
Vufflens-le-Chateau (Switzerland)
Family:
Married to Corinna, daughter Gina Maria, and son Mick.
Height:
1,74m
Weight:
74.5 kg
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Michael Schumacher was born on 3 January 1969 in western Germany
(in Hürth, near Cologne). As early as four years of age he was
notching up his first circuits at the go-kart track nearby where
his parents. In the go-kart he was runner-up in the Junior World
Championships at the age of sixteen, and two years later he
became the European Champion - and go-kart racing remains his
great passion to this day. After fifteen years of go-kart racing
he switched to racing cars and came out in front in numerous
German championships. In 1990, Michael Schumacher became the
Mercedes-Benz team driver in the Sports Car World Championship
and the German Formula 3 Champion.
Like
most budding racing drivers, Michael's career blossomed fast,
with a successful karting career. German businessman, Willi
Weber, noticed Michael's potential, and gave him financial
backing to move into motor-racing. His first season in German
Formula 3 saw him battle it out with Heinz-Harald Frentzen
and Karl Wendlinger for the title. He finished a close third.
The following season saw him win the title, which caught the
eye ofmany F1 team bosses, backed by some good performances
in the Mercedes Junior sportscar team, which involved Le Mans
with Frentzen and Wendlinger as team-mates.
In
1991, at the Belgian Grand Prix, Schumacher made his debut
as a replacement driver for the Formula 1 Jordan team. By
the following year he had already won his first Grand Prix,
at Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps, in a Benetton-Ford. After
placing third in the World Championship of 1992 and fourth
of 1993, he landed the World Title in 1994 and dedicated it
to Ayrton Senna - ”the man who deserved to get it”. In 1995,
Michael Schumacher defended his World Championship title in
a Benetton-Renault. With a record nine wins out of seventeen
Grand Prix races, this was a triumphant season for the German
driver.
After
four and a half years with Benetton, Michael Schumacher signed
a contract with Ferrari, with the objective of bringing the
World Championship once again back to Maranello. Under his
influence, the Italian team restructured itself. The key positions
were occupied by new expert personnel. In 1997 and 1998, he
narrowly missed out on the World Title - in each case, in
the final race of the season. As early as 1998, he renewed
his contract with Ferrari until the year 2002.
The
1999 season was an emotional roller-coaster ride for Schumacher.
At Silverstone he suffered the first serious accident of his
career. After sustaining a double fracture of the right leg
the German driver was forced to withdraw from the Championship
for six Grand Prix races. Then in Malaysia he celebrated a
glorious come-back and by the end of the season had exerted
an appreciable influence on the destiny of the Constructors’
World Championship. In the year 2000 Schumacher will once
again be on the offensive. This will be his fifth season with
Ferrari. And after twenty-one years he would like to bring
the Driver’s World Championship back to Maranello and to win
his third World Championship.
For
many people, Michael Schumacher has been the best driver in
Formula 1 since 1994. With forty-one Grand Prix victories,
he has already equalled Ayrton Senna's second position in
the all-time rankings. He is ambitious, self-disciplined,
and totally committed to success, and is respected by friends
and rivals alike. In 1995 Schumacher married his girlfriend
Corinna, and in 1997 their daughter Gina-Maria was born, followed
in 1999 by their son Mick. They live together in Switzerland,
on the banks of Lake Geneva. In his spare time Michael Schumacher
plays as a striker for the local football club, FC Aubonne.
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