Michael Schumacher (born 3 January 1969, in Hürth-Hermülheim, Germany) is a German former Formula One driver and seven-time Formula One world drivers' champion, and current advisor for Ferrari. According to the official Formula One website, he is "statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen". He is the only German to win the Formula One World championship, and is credited with popularizing Formula One in Germany. In a 2006 FIA survey, Michael Schumacher was voted the most popular driver of the season among Formula One fans.After winning two championships with Benetton, Michael Schumacher moved to Scuderia Ferrari in 1996 and won five consecutive drivers' titles with them from 2000–2004. Schumacher holds many records in Formula On
e, including most drivers' championships, race victories, fastest laps, pole positions, points scored and most races won in a single season. Schumacher is the only Formula One driver to have an entire season of podium finishes, a feat he accomplished in 2002. His driving sometimes created controversy: he was twice involved in collisions that determined the outcome of the world championship, most notably his disqualification from the 1997 championship for causing a collision with Jacques Villeneuve. After the 2006 Formula One season Schumacher retired from race driving. Schumacher planned to return to F1 racing for the 2009 European Grand Prix as a replacement for injured Ferrari driver Felipe Massa. However, it then became apparent that he was not fit enough to race due to a neck injury he sustained during a German Superbike test earlier in the year. Off the track, Schumacher is an ambassador for UNESCO and a spokesman for driver safety.He has been involved in numerous humanitarian efforts throughout his life and donated tens of millions of dollars to charity. He is the elder brother of former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, currently racing in Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM). They stand as the only brothers in F1 history to have both won races and they scored the first sibling 1-2 
finish in Formula One.
Michael was at one point the highest paid racing driver in the world and second highest earning sportsman in the world, earning a reported $80 million US in 2004 ($40m of which was his salary from Ferrari). His younger brother Ralf became the third highest paid driver in Formula 1 in 1999, and his pay after the 2000 season was raised to US$15.5 million.
Michael has had to cancel his planned F1 racing return due to neck injuries he sustained in early 2009 racing motorcycles.
A disappointed Eddie Jordan, who gave Michael his first F1 drive in a Jordan car, questioned why Michael ever risked such an injury saying, "What was he thinking with the bikes, he had rocks in his head."
Interviewed by the BBC, Jordan questioned, "What he was doing on it, I don't know - thats his business" and continued "his idea, in racing that motorcyle, was that he would be in a positon perhaps at 40 years of age to come back and race Superbikes. I mean what was he thinking of, is he out of his mind, this was just insanity...with the tyre contact on the road that they currently have in motorcycles, this was a step too far in my opinion."
For me, Michael Schumacher has been one of the biggaest F1 drivers in all history. He has served as a model for many new race car drivers that began in this sport. Not only because of hs ability at driving but also because he has participated in many social projects that try to help people. I was a little disappointed when i read that he won't return this year to the races. i wanted to see him again driving a Ferrari and wining another world championship.
ReplyDeleteI'm agree with you, it's an athlete, I admire as a person, and I love the cars.
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