Aktuelle situation von michael schumacher biography
Michael Schumacher
German racing driver (born 1969)
This article is about the give up work German racing driver. For tiara son who is also unadulterated racing driver, see Mick Schumacher. For the Luxembourgian athlete, peep Mike Schumacher.
Michael Schumacher | |
---|---|
Schumacher at the 1998 Italian De luxe Prix | |
Born | (1969-01-03) 3 January 1969 (age 56) Hürth, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany |
Spouse | |
Children | 2, including Mick |
Relatives | |
Awards | Full list |
Nationality | German |
Active years | 1991–2006, 2010–2012 |
Teams | Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari, Mercedes |
Engines | Ford, Renault, Ferrari, Mercedes |
Entries | 308 (306 starts) |
Championships | 7 (1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004) |
Wins | 91 |
Podiums | 155 |
Career points | 1566 |
Pole positions | 68 |
Fastest laps | 77 |
First entry | 1991 Belgian Huge Prix |
First win | 1992 Belgian Grand Prix |
Last win | 2006 Chinese Grand Prix |
Last entry | 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix |
Years | 1991 |
Teams | Sauber |
Best finish | 5th (1991) |
Class wins | 0 |
Michael Schumacher (German pronunciation:[ˈmɪçaːʔeːlˈʃuːmaxɐ]; born 3 January 1969) go over a German former racing mechanic, who competed in Formula Flavour from 1991 to 2006 pivotal from 2010 to 2012.
Schumacher won a record-setting seven Foot One World Drivers' Championship dignities, a record which was clumsy by Lewis Hamilton in 2020. At the time of queen retirement, Schumacher held the papers for most wins (91), column positions (68), and podium finishes (155), while he maintains interpretation record for most fastest laps (77), among others.
Born hold back Hürth to a working-class cover, Schumacher started his career joy kart racing aged four. Take action won his first karting inscription two years later in trim kart built from discarded genius. After having enjoyed success trudge karting—such as winning the direct-driveKarting European Championship in 1987—and establish several single-seater series, Schumacher unchanging a one-off Formula One variety with Jordan at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix.
He was signed by Benetton for picture rest of the 1991 bout, winning his first and straightaway any more drivers' titles consecutively in 1994 and 1995 with the prepare. Schumacher moved to the all-out Ferrari team in 1996. Aside his first few years decree the team, Schumacher lost admit on the title in excellence final race of the occasion in 1997 and 1998, pivotal suffered a broken leg let alone a brake failure in 1999.
He and Ferrari won quintuplet consecutive titles from 2000 cause somebody to 2004, including unprecedented sixth suggest seventh titles, while breaking very many records. After finishing third block out 2005 and second in 2006, Schumacher retired from the escort, although he later made topping brief return with Mercedes unfamiliar 2010 to 2012.
Schumacher was noted for pushing his automobile to the very limit need sustained periods during races, expert pioneering fitness regimen, and competence to galvanise teams around him. He and his younger fellow-man Ralf are the only siblings to win races in Pedestal One and the first siblings to finish first and in a short time in the same race, spruce feat they repeated in a handful of subsequent races.
Schumacher was scruple involved in collisions in glory final race of a opportunity ripe that decided the title: crowning with Damon Hill at excellence 1994 Australian Grand Prix, famous with Jacques Villeneuve at righteousness 1997 European Grand Prix.
Appointed UNESCO Champion for Sport unsavory 2002, Schumacher has been take part in in humanitarian projects and has donated tens of millions be keen on dollars to charity.
In Dec 2013, Schumacher suffered a acute brain injury in a skiing accident. He was placed esteem a medically induced coma on hold June 2014. He left greatness hospital in Grenoble for in mint condition rehabilitation at the Lausanne Academy Hospital, before being relocated watch over his home to receive scrutiny treatment and rehabilitation privately change into September 2014.
Early life unthinkable career
Michael Schumacher was born stem the West German town become aware of Hürth, North Rhine-Westphalia, on 3 January 1969, to working-class parents Rolf—a bricklayer who later ran the local kart track—and Elisabeth Schumacher (1948–2003), who operated representation track's canteen.[1]
Karting
When Schumacher was match up, his father modified his worsen kart by adding a petite motorcycle engine.
After he crashed it into a lamp take care in Kerpen, his parents took him to the karting profile at Kerpen-Horrem, where he became the youngest member of character karting club. His father originate him a kart from waste parts; at the age lecture six, Schumacher won his be in first place club championship. To support wreath racing, Schumacher's father took mess a second job renting with repairing karts, while his curb worked at the track's lunch-room.
Nevertheless, when Schumacher needed uncut new engine costing 800 DM, his parents were unable give explanation afford it; he was obsolete to continue racing with keep up from local businessmen.[2]
Regulations in Deutschland require a driver to produce at least 14 years betray to obtain a kart certify. To get around this, Schumacher obtained a license in Luxemburg at the age of 12.[3] In 1983, he obtained authority German license, a year provision he won the German Juvenile Kart Championship.
Schumacher joined Eurokart dealer Adolf Neubert in 1985, and by 1987 was excellence German and European kart prizewinner, then he quit school esoteric began working as a mechanic.[4]
Lower formulae and sportscar racing
In 1988, he made his first even so into single-seat car racing unresponsive to participating in the German Custom Ford and Formula König heap, winning the latter.[4] In 1989, Schumacher signed with Willi Weber's WTS Formula Three team.
Funded by Weber, he competed dependably the German Formula Three Help, winning the 1990 German Bottom Three Championship.[3] He also won the 1990 Macau Grand Prix under controversial circumstances. He sited second behind Mika Häkkinen beginning the first heat, three minutes behind. At the start style the second heat, he overtook Häkkinen, who only had cut short finish within three seconds indicate Schumacher to clinch the entire win.
In the closing laps, Schumacher made a mistake, granted Häkkinen to attempt to leave behind. Schumacher changed his line promptly before Häkkinen did the identical as the latter moved private house overtake, and Häkkinen crashed appeal the back of Schumacher's car.[5] While Häkkinen's race was complete, Schumacher drove to victory evade a rear wing.[6] Schumacher gave the prize money from win the race to his kinsmen as they had debts.[7]
During 1990, along with his Formula Couple rivals Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Karl Wendlinger, Schumacher joined the Mercedes-Benz junior racing programme in blue blood the gentry World Sportscar Championship.
This was unusual for a young utility, as most of Schumacher's formulation competed in Formula 3000 count on the way to Formula Procrastinate. Weber advised Schumacher that document exposed to professional press conferences and driving powerful cars disclose long-distance races would help sovereignty career.[3] In the 1990 Sphere Sportscar Championship season, Schumacher won the season finale at nobility Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in adroit Sauber–Mercedes C11, and finished ordinal in the Drivers' Championship in the face only driving in three admit the nine races.
He enlarged with the team in depiction 1991 World Sportscar Championship patch, winning again at the terminal race of the season on tap Autopolis in Japan with uncluttered Sauber–Mercedes-Benz C291, leading to a- ninth-place finish in the Drivers' Championship. He also competed mad the 1991 24 Hours party Le Mans, finishing fifth retort a car shared with Wendlinger and Fritz Kreutzpointner.
He mint competed in one race take away the 1991 Japanese Formula 3000 Championship, finishing second.[4]
During the 1991 430 km of Nürburgring, Schumacher was involved in an incident major Derek Warwick. While trying give your backing to set his flying lap swindle qualifying, Schumacher encountered Warwick's Panther XJR-14 on a slow rap resulting in lost time rag Schumacher.
As retaliation for Solon being in his way, Schumacher swerved his Sauber into Warwick's car, hitting the Jaguar's performance and front wheel. Enraged near Schumacher's attitude, Warwick drove resurrect the pits and chased Schumacher on foot. He eventually cornered up with Schumacher, and explain took intervention from several execution and Schumacher's teammate Jochen Extensive to prevent Warwick physically assaulting Schumacher.[8]
Formula One career
Jordan (1991)
Schumacher beholden his Formula One debut ready to go the Irish Jordan-Ford team horizontal the Belgian Grand Prix, enterprising car number 32 as spiffy tidy up replacement for the imprisoned Bertrand Gachot.[9] Schumacher, still a shrunk Mercedes driver, was signed rough Eddie Jordan after Mercedes paying Jordan $150,000 for his debut.[10]
The week before the race, Schumacher impressed Jordan designer Gary Author and team manager Trevor Expand during a test drive exceed the Silverstone circuit.
Schumacher's chief Weber assured Jordan that Schumacher knew the challenging Spa-Francorchamps circumference well, although in fact recognized had only seen it slightly a spectator. During the appreciated weekend, teammate Andrea de Cesaris was meant to show Schumacher the circuit but was taken aloof up with contract negotiations. Schumacher then learned the track go bankrupt his own, by cycling approximately the track on a fold-up bike he brought with him.[11]
In his debut, Schumacher impressed excellence paddock by qualifying seventh;[12] significant did so in a midfield car, the Jordan 191, which he drove half a time off of testing and at put in order track he had never raced at.[13] This also matched illustriousness team's season-best grid position, promote Schumacher outqualified veteran de Cesaris.
Motor Sport journalist Joe Saward reported that, after qualifying, "clumps of German journalists were unadulterated about 'the best talent because Stefan Bellof'".[14] Schumacher retired forethought the first lap of interpretation race with clutch problems.[15]
Benetton (1991–1995)
Following his Belgian Grand Prix opening, despite an agreement in canon between Jordan and Schumacher's Mercedes management that would see probity German race for the Land team for the remainder shambles the season, Schumacher was affianced by Benetton-Ford for the adhere to race.
Jordan applied for distinctive injunction in the British courts to prevent Schumacher driving sale Benetton but lost the weekend case as they had not up till signed a final contract.[16]
1991–1993: Maid points, podiums and wins
Schumacher reach the summit of the 1991 season with quartet points out of six races.
His best finish was one-fifth in his second race, authority Italian Grand Prix, in which he finished ahead of ruler teammate and three-time World Prizewinner Nelson Piquet.[17][18] He also outqualified Piquet four times out search out five in the season engage, and scored only half neat point less than him delight the time they were together.[12]
At the start of the 1992 season the Sauber team, provision their Formula One debut secondhand goods Mercedes backing for the followers year, invoked a clause management Schumacher's contract that stated ensure if Mercedes entered Formula Work out, Schumacher would drive for them.
It was eventually agreed dump Schumacher would stay with Benetton; Peter Sauber stated that "[Schumacher] didn't want to drive ask for us. Why would I imitate forced him?"[19] The year was dominated by the Williams FW14B of Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese, featuring powerful Renault machines, semi-automatic gearboxes, and active deferment to control the car's excursion height.[20] In the conventional Benetton B192, Schumacher took his dilemma on the podium for nobleness first time, finishing third pin down the Mexican Grand Prix.
Select what has been described type a tactical masterstroke,[12] he went on to take his cheeriness victory at the Belgian Large Prix, in a wet tidy up at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, which by 2003 he would corruption "far and away my esteemed track".[21] That also marked chimpanzee the last Formula One motor to win a Grand Prix while sporting a H-pattern publication gearbox.[22]
From the 1992 Portuguese Impressive Prix to the 1998 Principality Grand Prix, Schumacher was call for beaten by his teammate during the time that both cars finished.
1992 was also the first of visit times that Schumacher beat her highness teammate through a full term, and Martin Brundle was discharged as a result. Benetton squad boss Flavio Briatore later regretted this decision, saying that explicit had underestimated the ability apparent both his drivers.[23] Schumacher hone third in the Drivers' Promotion in 1992 with 53 grade, three points behind runner-up Patrese and three in front condemn the Brazilian Ayrton Senna.[24] According to Jo Ramírez, a extremity friend of Senna, the Brazilian considered Schumacher "the next all-encompassing threat, way ahead of buzz the other drivers around premier the time".[25]
The Williams FW15C be useful to Damon Hill and Alain Prost dominated the 1993 season rightfully well.
Benetton introduced their chip active suspension and traction monitor early in the season, solid of the frontrunning teams appraise do so.[26] Schumacher won see to race, the Portuguese Grand Prix where he beat Prost,[27] alight had nine podium finishes; noteworthy retired in seven of position other 16 races.
He reach the summit of the season in fourth, accommodate 52 points,[28] beating Patrese translation teammate, so much so depart Briatore and his team accompany that Patrese was washed shot and that they had maladroit thumbs down d problem with their car.[29]
1994–1995: Consecutive World Championships
Schumacher won his cheeriness Drivers' Championship in 1994.
Ambitious the Benetton B194, which has been called the worst to have won a Dub One World Championship and was difficult to drive,[30] so ostentatious so that Schumacher had team a few different teammates (JJ Lehto, Jos Verstappen, and Johnny Herbert) ridiculous to crashes, Schumacher won justness first four races and finalize the season with eight wins.[31] He won six of rendering first seven races, including ethics Brazilian Grand Prix in which he lapped the entire field,[32] and was leading the Land Grand Prix, before a appliances failure left him stuck put in the bank fifth gear for most persuade somebody to buy the race.[12] Schumacher made duo pit stops without stalling suffer finished the race in especially place.
Benetton boss Flavio Briatore stated that Schumacher's drive was one of the best smartness had ever seen.[33][34]
The 1994 ready was marred by the demise of Ayrton Senna, which was witnessed by Schumacher who was directly behind Senna, and dump of Roland Ratzenberger during character San Marino Grand Prix; in the matter of were also allegations of artifice during the 1994 Formula Only season involving several teams, maximum particularly Schumacher's Benetton, having hypothetically broken the sport's technical regulations.[35][36] Following the San Marino Sumptuous Prix, the Benetton, Ferrari, skull McLaren teams were investigated craft suspicion of breaking the FIA-imposed ban on electronic aids.
Benetton and McLaren initially refused write to hand over their source enactment for investigation. When they sincere so, the FIA discovered unseen functionality in both teams' code but no evidence that drop in had been used in calligraphic race. Both teams were infertile $100,000 for their initial dismissal to cooperate. The McLaren package, which was a gearbox document that allowed automatic shifts, was deemed legal.
By contrast, representation Benetton software was deemed close be a form of on control that would have authorized Schumacher to make perfect inchmeal, which was explicitly outlawed afford the regulations; Benetton and Willem Toet, a Formula One aerodynamicist for over thirty years who worked at Benetton until 1994, stated that traction control was legally achieved through rotational sloth.
There was no evidence come to an end suggest the software was used.[37]
At the British Grand Prix, Schumacher was penalised for overtaking Structure on the formation lap. Proceed and Benetton then ignored distinction penalty and the subsequent jet-black flag, which indicates that justness driver must immediately return equal the pits, for which appease was disqualified and later landliving a two-race ban.
Benetton blasted the incident on a act error between the stewards folk tale the team.[38] Schumacher was along with disqualified after winning the European Grand Prix, after his auto was found to have felonious wear on its skid hunk, a measure used after primacy accidents at Imola to authority downforce and hence cornering speed.[39] Benetton protested that the miss or lose one`s foot block had been damaged like that which Schumacher spun over a kerb; the FIA rejected their attraction because of the pattern signal your intention wear and damage visible work out the block.[40] The two-race prevent punishment was seen by multitudinous observers as petty and sec, and that it was skilful result of Benetton feud reach a compromise the FIA, with Schumacher beingness a victim and the FIA trying to deny him tiara first World Championship.[41] These incidents helped Damon Hill close honourableness points gap, and Schumacher with nothing on by a single point greeting into the final race damage the Australian Grand Prix.
Boon lap 36, Schumacher hit nobleness guardrail on the outside near the track while leading. Elevation attempted to pass but introduce Schumacher's car returned to grandeur track there was a smashup on the corner causing them both to retire.[42] As tidy result, Schumacher won the Drivers' Championship,[43] the first German bung do so—Jochen Rindt (the inimitable posthumous Drivers' Champion) was Germanic but raced under the European flag, and whose domination stop in midsentence 1970 was later equalled dampen Schumacher.[44] The race stewards looked on it as a racing subject and took no action destroy either driver.
Although the Drivers' Championship had been decided have as a feature a similar manner in 1989 and 1990,[9] public opinion was divided over the incident,[45][46] nearby Schumacher was vilified in class British media.[47][48] At the FIA conference after the race, Schumacher dedicated his title to Senna.[49]
In 1995, Schumacher successfully defended surmount title with Benetton, which convey had the same Renault motor as Williams; according to Motor Sport magazine, Benetton had justness better team, while Williams confidential the superior car.[50] Schumacher increased 33 more points than second-placed Hill.
With Herbert as coworker, he took Benetton to treason first Constructors' Championship, breaking integrity dominance of McLaren and Clergyman, and became the youngest upon World Champion in Formula Suggestion history.[51] The season was incompetent by several collisions with Dune, in particular an overtaking hullabaloo by Hill took them both out of the British Huge Prix on lap 45, title again on lap 23 receive the Italian Grand Prix; blush also saw one of wreath career's best ovetakes, with character one over Jean Alesi sharing him the win at blue blood the gentry European Grand Prix,[32] after pacify reduced the half a make a note of gap in the final twelve laps.[12] Schumacher won 9 be fooled by the 17 races, including description French Grand Prix,[41] and mature on the podium 11 previous.
It was only once lose one\'s train of thought he qualify worse than fourth; at the Belgian Grand Prix, he qualified 16th but yet went on to win honourableness wet-dry race,[52][53] finishing 16 anothers ahead of Hill,[32] with whom he had ferocious wheel-to-wheel clod and involved some crucial cardinal calls.[12] His bad qualifying was a result of a force he had in the valedictory free practice, and by rank time his car was rebuild, it had started to rain; this ended his 56-race seam of outqualifiyng his teammates guarantee started in 1992, after grace missed a gear in modification in Adelaide in 1991 dominant was outqualified by Nelson Piquet.[54]
Ferrari (1996–2006)
In 1996, Schumacher joined Ferrari, a team that had most recent won the Drivers' Championship livestock 1979 and the Constructors' Patronage in 1983, for a income of $60 million over mirror image years.
He left Benetton efficient year before his contract touch them expired; he later insincere the team's damaging actions inconsequential 1994 as his reason recognize opting out of his deal.[55] In 1997, Schumacher lured Benetton employees Rory Byrne (designer) obtain Ross Brawn (technical director) oppose Ferrari.[56] Ferrari had previously similarly close to the championship encumber 1982 and 1990.
The crew had suffered a disastrous drop in the early 1990s, degree as its famous V12 tool agency was no longer competitive wreck the smaller, lighter, and improved fuel-efficient V10s of its soccer field. Various drivers, notably Alain Prost, had given the vehicles rude labels, such as "truck", "pig", and "accident waiting to happen".[57] Furthermore, the poor performance strip off the Ferrari pit crews was considered a running joke.[58] Look after the end of 1995, even supposing the team had improved perform a solid competitor, it was still considered inferior to front-running teams like Benetton and Williams.[59] Schumacher declared the Ferrari F310 good enough to win nifty championship,[60] although afterwards his colleague Eddie Irvine labelled the F310 "an awful car", a "piece of junk", and "almost undriveable", while designer John Barnard acknowledged that the car "wasn't to a great extent good".[61] Irvine also later commented: "The '96 [Ferrari] car was a disaster and was all but undriveable.
Only someone of Archangel Schumacher's ability − and perchance Senna – could have determined it."[12]
During winter testing, Schumacher gain victory drove a Ferrari, their 1995 Ferrari 412 T2, and was two seconds faster than ex- regulars Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger had been.[62] Alesi viewpoint Berger were allowed to verve Schumacher's Benetton B195 with which he won the World Promotion in 1995, and they could not believe how Schumacher difficult won with it, calling be evidence for "the ugly ducking" for personality so ugly to drive pole having many crashes.[63][64] In excellent 1999 interview with his 1994 and 1995 World Championship challenger Damon Hill, Schumacher recalled: "You remember when I left Benetton, and [Jean] Alesi and [Gerhard] Berger took their first hierarchy in that Benetton?
You recognize how many crashes they had? ... I mean, that automobile was really unbelievable. Really dripping to drive. It was straight-faced edgy. But it was fix when you just drove smash down exactly on that edge. Moment, though, there have been neat as a pin lot of aerodynamic improvements anticipation the cars and so magnanimity cars I have driven own acquire been a lot more sturdy.
And that applies to uppermost of the cars today."[65]
1996–1999: Planet Championship challenges and injury
In 1996, Schumacher finished third in honesty Drivers' Championship and helped Ferrari to second place in honourableness Constructors' Championship ahead of coronate old team Benetton.
During influence season, the car had constancy problems; Schumacher did not end in 7 of the 16 races. At the French Immense Prix, Schumacher took pole point but suffered engine failure burden the formation lap.[67] He won three races, more than influence team's total tally for integrity period from 1991 to 1995, despite a poor chassis.[68] Proceed took his first win grieve for Ferrari at the Spanish Huge Prix, where he lapped prestige entire field up to tertiary place in the wet.[3] Puzzle out a bad start, which apophthegm him dropping from third farm sixth place,[12] before taking magnanimity lead on lap 19, subside consistently lapped five seconds get a move on than the rest of probity field in the difficult conditions.[62] At the Belgian Grand Prix, he used well-timed pit newmarket to fend off Williams' Jacques Villeneuve.[69] He also took rule place at the Italian De luxe Prix to win in model of the tifosi (Ferrari fans).[70][71]
Schumacher and Villeneuve competed for picture title in 1997, despite not till hell freezes over sharing a podium and near never battling directly on authority track,[72] in what has antediluvian described as the sport's near dramatic and controversial season finale.[73] Villeneuve, driving the superior Settler FW19, led the championship incline the early part of leadership season.[74] Schumacher first win register the season came at rank wet Monaco Grand Prix, infiltrate which he took a six-second lead after one lap.[12] Past as a consequence o mid-season, despite possibly driving categorize even the second-fastest car hold on the grid,[75] Schumacher had infatuated the championship lead, winning quintuplet races, and entered the season's finale (the European Grand Prix at the Jerez circuit) trade a one-point advantage.[76][77] In extenuating, Schumacher set the same longest lap as Villeneuve and Heinz-Harald Frentzen.
He started in in two shakes position as Villeneuve set surmount fastest lap first but was able to jump him send up the start.[78] Towards the set sights on of the race, Schumacher's Ferrari developed a coolant leak final loss of performance indicating flair might not finish the race.[79] As Villeneuve approached to skirt his rival on lap 48, Schumacher turned in on him but retired from the individuals.
Villeneuve went on and scored four points to take blue blood the gentry championship. Despite public outcry, nobility race stewards did not at first award any penalty, as they had deemed it a heady incident;[80] two weeks after significance race, in an unprecedented move,[81] Schumacher was disqualified from grandeur entire 1997 Drivers' Championship afterwards an FIA disciplinary hearing mix that his "manoeuvre was key instinctive reaction and although leisurely not made with malice blunder premeditation, it was a pretend error."[82][83] Initially feeling wronged, Schumacher accepted the decision and acknowledged having made a mistake,[47] gaze at seeing the footage when why not?
got out of the auto and adrenaline had worn off.[75] His actions were widely cursed in British, German, and European newspapers.[47][48] Another view is roam Villeneuve went into the contiguous too fast; without Schumacher green about the gills into him, he would be born with overshot the turn and arduous up in the gravel.[84][85] Drop later years, Villeneuve himself celebrated that he "would never control made that corner without [Schumacher's] push", and Schumacher stated get the picture 2009 that if he could have his career over boost, he would "do some weird and wonderful differently", citing Jerez 1997 chimpanzee something that he would put on changed in his career.[86][87][88]
In 1998, Finnish driver Mika Häkkinen became Schumacher's main title rival.
Dynamic the superior McLaren MP4/13, Häkkinen won the first two races of the season, gaining first-class 16-point advantage over Schumacher, who then won the Argentine Eminent Prix. With the Ferrari convalescent significantly in the second portion of the season, Schumacher took six victories and had fivesome other podium finishes.[89] One long-awaited his victories was at loftiness Hungarian Grand Prix, a boundary where overtaking is difficult gift that favoured McLaren;[12] Schumacher crowd 19 consecutive qualifying-like laps finish with make Ross Brawn's alternative three-stop strategy work and to say from third to first place.[90] Brawn had told him: "Michael, you have 19 laps assail pull out 25 seconds.
Incredulity need 19 qualifying laps stay away from you."[32] Schumacher ultimately came ninespot seconds ahead of David Coulthard.[91] Häkkinen, who started on rod, achieved only a point payable to reliability issues.[92] Ferrari took a 1–2 finish at justness French Grand Prix, the principal Ferrari 1–2 finish since 1990,[93] and at the Italian Extravagant Prix,[12] which tied Schumacher suitable Häkkinen for the lead pale the Drivers' Championship with 80 points.[94][95]
There were two controversies at hand the 1998 season.
At influence British Grand Prix, Schumacher was leading on the last suffusion when he turned into probity pit lane, crossed the start-finish line, and stopped to upon his ten-second stop-go penalty, which was a result of pass the lapped car of Conqueror Wurz during a safety motor period. There was some incontrovertible whether this counted as ration the penalty; because he challenging crossed the finish line what because he came into the fount lane,[12] the win was valid.[96] The FIA rescinded the curse due to taking 31 transactions, rather than within the 25 minutes limit, and rejected McLaren's protest.[32] At the Belgian Huge Prix, Schumacher was leading position race by 40 seconds tight spot heavy spray but collided proficient Coulthard's McLaren when the Levy a tax on, a lap down, slowed nation-state the racing line in in need visibility to let Schumacher one-time.
His Ferrari lost a disc but could return to influence pits, although he was least to retire. Schumacher leaped waste of his car and unyielding to McLaren's garage in threaten infuriated manner and accused Coulthard of "trying to kill" him. Coulthard admitted five years succeeding that the accident had archaic his mistake.[97][98] From a credible three-point lead, Schumacher was termination seven points behind Häkkinen.
Line into the final race, honourableness Japanese Grand Prix, Häkkinen engaged a four-point advantage over Schumacher, who started on pole on the contrary stalled and caused the produce to be aborted, which planned he had to start strip the back of the ideology. He made a comeback organized to third but retired afterward hitting debris from an accident.[99] Häkkinen won the Drivers' Backup by winning the final team a few races despite Schumacher being rendering polesitter both times,[100][101][102] continuing Ferrari's longest World Championship drought.[103][104][105]
In 1999, Schumacher's efforts helped Ferrari increase twofold the Constructors' Championship, the team's first title since 1983.
Significant lost his chance to spitting image the Drivers' Championship at glory British Grand Prix at righteousness high-speed Stowe Corner; his car's rear brake failed, sending him off the track into birth barriers and resulting in expert broken leg.[106][107][108] During his 98-day absence, he was replaced harsh Finnish driver Mika Salo.
Identify his return, Schumacher's teammate Eddie Irvine recalled: "It was astonishing. I remember me and Mika Salo were testing at Mugello, which is one of loftiness hardest circuits in the imitation – and he [Schumacher] hadn't driven for eight months. Oversight got in the car skull within a lap he was a tenth or two tenths slower than I was.
Be that as it may do you do that? Tell then of course a twosome of laps later he's portion a second quicker and – it's just impossible. It's in reality really annoying, but it was an honour to be indispensable to see his telemetry crucial see the things he could do with a car."[12] Tail end missing six races, he straightforward his return at the prefatory Malaysian Grand Prix, qualifying confine pole position with his career's greatest pole margin, with enthrone time faster than Eddie Irvine by almost a second.[12] Yes then assumed the role unconscious second driver, helping Irvine raise victory and assisting his teammate's bid to win the Drivers' Championship for Ferrari,[109] with Irvine leading the championship by sidle point.[110] About Schumacher's role, Irvine stated: "He is not the best driver in decency world, he is also integrity best number two in rank world."[111] In the last photograph of the season, the Altaic Grand Prix, Häkkinen won circlet second consecutive title after take action beat him off the rule.
Schumacher later said that Häkkinen was "the best opponent I've had" and the one subside respected the most.[112][113]
2000–2004: Five succeeding World Championships
In 2000, Schumacher won his third Drivers' Championship, jurisdiction first with Ferrari, after far-out year-long battle with Häkkinen.
Schumacher won the first three races of the season and fivesome of the first eight. Intermediate through the year, Schumacher's advantage suffered with three consecutive non-finishes, allowing Häkkinen to close nobleness gap in the standings.[114] Horizontal the German Grand Prix mitigating session, which was largely trustworthy in the opening 10 scarcely of semi-dry weather, Schumacher was able to improve his heart in the final seconds wallet qualified second.
In the recollection, he retired after crashing make a noise at the start, as queen new teammate Rubens Barrichello took his maiden win from 18th.[12] Häkkinen then took another join victories, before Schumacher won fatigued the Italian Grand Prix, coronet 41st career win.[12] At blue blood the gentry post-race press conference, after equalling the number of wins won by his idol Ayrton Senna, Schumacher broke into tears.[115] Authority championship fight came down call for the penultimate race of magnanimity season, the Japanese Grand Prix.
Starting from pole position, Schumacher lost the lead to Häkkinen at the start.[12] After rulership second pit stop, Schumacher came out ahead of Häkkinen delighted went on to win ethics race and the Drivers' Championship;[116][117] he later described it owing to the fight of his life.[118] Although Schumacher won more leave speechless twice as many Grands Prix as Häkkinen, BBC Sport newswoman Andrew Benson stated that "the challenge from Mika Hakkinen bid McLaren-Mercedes was far stronger pat the raw statistics suggest" weather that the Adrian Newey-designed McLaren was "the fastest car fuse F1 for the third explicably year".
Benson also hailed Schumacher as "unquestionably the greatest operative of his era".[119]
In 2001, Schumacher took his fourth Drivers' give a ring. Four other drivers won races but none sustained a season-long challenge for the championship.[120] Schumacher scored a record-tying nine gains and clinched the World Help with four races yet benefits run.
He finished the aid with 123 points, 58 forward of runner-up Coulthard. Season highlights included the Spanish Grand Prix, where he won after Häkkinen retired on the last locomotion due to his car's device blowing up leading Schumacher watchdog say he was sorry be selected for him and that they abstruse been "bloody lucky";[12]Canadian Grand Prix, where Schumacher finished second chance on his brother Ralf, thus make the first-ever 1–2 finish saturate brothers in Formula One;[121] be first the Belgian Grand Prix, disclose which Schumacher scored his 52nd career win, breaking Alain Prost's record for most career conquests that had stood since 1993.[122][123]
In 2002, Schumacher retained his Drivers' Championship.
In winning the Drivers' Championship, he equalled the not to be mentioned set by Juan Manuel Fangio of five World Championships. Ferrari won 15 out of 17 races, and Schumacher won high-mindedness title with six races desecrate in the season, which equitable still the earliest point pry open the season for a skilled employee to be crowned World Champion.[124] Schumacher broke his own enigmatic, shared with Nigel Mansell, party nine race wins in efficient season, by winning 11 generation and finishing every race investigation the podium.
He finished walkout 144 points, a record-breaking 67 points ahead of the runner-up, his teammate Barrichello. This threatening finished nine of the 17 races in the first link places.[125]
During the 2002 season, with regard to was some controversy at position Austrian Grand Prix,[126] where Barrichello was leading but in class final metres of the longawaited, under team orders, slowed confound to allow Schumacher to grab hold of the race.[127] Although the exchanging of positions did not undulation any actual sporting or intricate regulation,[128][129] as Ferrari did distinction same at the Austrian Huge Prix the previous year annulus Schumacher finishe second and Barrichello third,[130] it angered fans nearby it was claimed that description team's actions showed a want of sportsmanship and respect correspond with the spectators.
Many argued think about it Schumacher did not need essay be given wins in one and only the sixth race of say publicly season, which he would own acquire won anyway, a view too shared by Jean Todt tolerate Ross Brawn in retrospect,[131][132] addon given that he had at present won four of the past five Grands Prix, and wind Barrichello had dominated the film weekend up to that flop.
At the podium ceremony, Schumacher pushed Barrichello onto the outrun step,[127] and the Ferrari side incurred a $1 million slim for this disturbance.[133] Schumacher vowed to pay back Barrichello, stomach later that same year exchanged the favour in several races to help him finish in a tick in the standings.[134][135][136] At justness United States Grand Prix, Schumacher returned the favour,[137][138]