Top facts about Michael Schumacher, Red Dragon
How much do you know about one of the best German former racing driver? Join us in the following article to review detailed information about Michael Schumacher's life.
Michael Schumacher, widely known as Red Dragon, is one of the best former racing drivers who retired in 2012. Born in Hurth, North Rhine-Westphalia, Schumacher started his professional career in karting, tasting many successes in junior single-seater series. In 1991, the German driver was signed by Benetton, winning his first and second drivers' titles in 1994 and 1995.
A year later, he joined Ferrari, but during his early years, he lost two titles, breaking his leg in 1999. During his time at the Ferrari, the driver achieved five consecutive titles, from 2000 to 2004, breaking several records. In 2006, Schumacher announced his retirement; however, he made a brief return with Mercedes. Schumacher and his brother, Ralf, the former racer, are the only brothers to win races in Formula One. Over his career, he achieved many records, including the records for the most wins, pole positions, as well as podium finishes.
The Red Baron had an accident while skiing in December 2013, suffering paralysis and memory loss. To know some more interesting
top facts about Michael Schumacher
's life, scroll further.
Facts you need to know about Michael Schumacher
Let's take a look at the top facts about Michael Schumacher. Facts like Michael Schumacher birthday, wife, Instagram, which may be fascinating to the sport lovers.
Michael Schumacher age and biography at point
Full Name:
Michael Schumacher
Nickname:
The Red Baron, Regenkonig, Regenmeister, Schu, Schuey, Schumi, Red Dragon
Date of Birth:
3 January 1969
Age:
53 years
Place of Birth:
Hurth, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany
Nationality:
German
Height:
1.74 m
Weight:
75 kg
Parents:
Rolf Schumacher, Elisabeth Schumacher
Wife/Partner:
Corinna Schumacher (m. 1995)
Siblings:
Ralf Schumacher, Sebastian Stahl
Children:
Mick Schumacher, Gina-Maria Schumacher
Occupation:
Former Racing Driver
Team(s):
Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari, Mercedes
Books:
Michael Schumacher: Formula for Success : the Gripping Inside Story of One of Motor Racing's Greatest Champions
Net Worth:
$600 million
Michael Schumacher Childhood
The first part of our article on top facts about Michael Schumacher is about his childhood. Mi
chael Schumacher birthday
is on 3 January 1969 in Hurth, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany.
He was born to his father, Rolf Schumacher, a construction worker, and his mother, Elisabeth Schumacher. Unlike many drivers, the Michael Schumacher family was not wealthy. Little Michael showed his interest in driving during his childhood.
Rolf and Elisabeth worked hard so they could support their son's dream. When
Michael Schumacher age
was four, Rolf changed his pedal kart, adding a small motorcycle engine. He achieved the 'German Junior Kart Championship in 1982, and the next year when he was 14, Schumacher obtained his driving license, going on to win several kart championships.
Michael Schumacher Career Stats
After reviewing
Michael Schumacher childhood
, let's take a look at
Michael Schumacher career stats
, that is, one of the significant-top facts about Michael Schumacher. The German driver was signed by the WTS team, competing in the 'Formula 3' championship of Germany. In the same year, he moved to Mercedes, competing in the World Sports-Prototype Championship. In the final race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, he placed first, driving the Sauber–Mercedes C11 car. Schumacher competed in only three out of the nine races, becoming fifth in the tournament.
In 1991, the German racer competed in World Sportscar Championship, driving a Sauber–Mercedes-Benz C291, and also at the same year, he took part in the Japanese Formula 3000 Championship, becoming second. At the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix, Schuey made his Formula One debut as a replacement for Bertrand Gachot, driving car number 32, and in the same year, Schumacher took part in the Italian Grand Prix, placing fifth. The German racer took part in the Mexican Grand Prix and the Belgian Grand Prix the following year, becoming third and first.
In the same year, he was signed by the Benetton Ford team, competing in a Formula One race. The following year, Schumacher participated in the Portuguese Grand Prix, winning the race, but during that year, the German lost most of the other races.
In 1994, he took part in 16 races in the Formula One championship, winning one. At the Australian Grand Prix, he had an accident in which he was involved with Damon Hill, a British racer. But he was blamed by the English media.
As a part of the Benetton team, he won nine races in the Formula One championship in 1995. The following year he left Benetton and was signed by Ferrari, remaining with the team for ten years. Schumacher ended the competition in 1996 with 59 points, and during the next three years, the Red Baron scored 78, 86, and 44 points. Michael Schumacher's era began in 2000 when he earned 108 points in the Formula One championship.
For the next four years, the legend racer went on to earn a victory on each occasion with 123, 144, 93, and 148 points respectively. The Rules were changed in 2005, and the racers were allowed to use only one set of tires for the entire race. The Ferrari team, which used Bridgestone tires, began using Michelin tires. Battling with Renault's Fernando Alonso was the German racer's most notable moment, which ended only 0.2 seconds behind Alonso. He said less than halfway through the season: "I don't think I can count myself in this battle anymore. It was like trying to fight with a blunted weapon. If your weapons are weak, you don't have a chance."
He only won the United States Grand Prix in 2005, when the German racer finished third, scoring a total of 62 points. His last season as a Ferrari racer came in 2006 when he had just 11 points after three races and was already 17 points behind Alonso. For the first time since the 2000 French Grand Prix in the Japanese Grand Prix, Schumacher's car suffered an engine failure, and Alonso won the title.
During the pre-race ceremonies of the Brazilian Grand Prix, the season's last race Pelé, the famous retired footballer, presented a trophy to the German racer for his honors in Formula One. The Red Baron achieved the championship for Ferrari five times. He announced his retirement in 2006, becoming an advisor of the Ferrari team and assistant of Jean Todt, the CEO of Ferrari.
In December 2009, the legend racer decided to return to Formula One, racing for the Mercedes team with Nico Rosberg, German racer, this time. Michael Schumacher participated in the competitions that were held in Spain, Bahrain, Europe, Hungary, Turkey, Abu Dhabi, and Belgium. He did not achieve any title during the next two years, and in 2012, Schumacher announced his retirement once again.
Michael Schumacher Net worth & Salary
In this section, we will take a look at
Michael Schumacher salary
and net worth, which is one of the fascinating top facts about Michael Schumacher.
Widely known as the Red Baron, Michael Schumacher is regarded as one of the best German racers in the sport's history. As of 2022,
Michael Schumacher net worth
is estimated at around $600 million.
In the case of Michael Schumacher salary, you might know that the former racer earned 30 million pounds annually.
Michael Schumacher Children & Wife
Formula One fans know about Michael Schumacher's driving skills, but few consider his bio, which is quite interesting. Stay tuned to read more about the
Michael Schumacher family
. The former racer got married to Corinna Betsch in August 1995. But who is Michael Schumacher wife? Corinna Betsch is an animal rights activist and a horse rider. The German activist, who was born on 2 March 1969, won the European Championship in 2010. The couple own horse ranches in Switzerland and US.
In the early 1990s, Corinna was in a relationship with a former German racing driver, Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Back in 2013, Michael said he had never had a serious fight with his wife. "It's because we share the same values. During all the time I was racing, she was my guardian angel," said Michael Schumacher.
In the case of Michael
Schumacher children
, you might know that the German racer has two children.
Michael Schumacher wife
gave birth to Gina-Maria on 20 February 1997, and two years later, Mick was born. His daughter is a professional horse rider, who won the Cavalli a Roma event in Italy, and his son is a German racing driver.
Facts about Michael Schumacher you did not know
Michael Schumacher nickname
Michael Schumacher nickname is given to him by his fans. He is known as The Red Baron, Regenkonig, Regenmeister, Schu, Schuey, and Schumi.
Michael Schumacher tattoo
The amusing fact about Michael Schumacher tattoo is that just like many athletes, he has a tattoo on his left arm like an armband. Once, he said about his tattoo that it is a temporary one.
Michael Schumacher Instagram account
The Red Baron was active on Instagram before his accident. Michael Schumacher Instagram account (
@michaelschumacher) has around 1m followers.
Michael Schumacher height
Michael Schumacher height is 174 m, and also his weight is 75 kg.
More facts about Michael Schumacher
Back in December 2013, the former German racer suffered a severe accident while skiing at the Meribel alpine resort. Since then, Schumacher's health status has been kept a secret. Ross Brawn, British Formula 1 managing director, said: "I am constantly in touch with Corinna, and I totally agree with their decision. Michael has always been a very private person, and that's been a guiding principle in his career and life, and his family always agreed with that choice. It's completely understandable that Corinna has wanted to maintain the same approach, even after the tragic event, and it's a decision we must all respect." Recently his wife has revealed that Schumacher is still battling to recover from his injury. "Everybody misses Michael, but Michael is here, different, but here. He still shows me how strong he is every day. We’re together. We live together at home. We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he’s comfortable. And to simply make him feel our family, our bond. And no matter what, I will do everything I can. We all will. We’re trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives. I miss Michael every day. But it’s not just me who misses him. It’s the children, the family, his father, everyone around him," said Corinna Schumacher.
The legend racer was voted the most popular Formula One driver in 2006.
Schumacher's favorite movie is The Silence of the Lambs.
Michael Schumacher's brother, Ralf, is also a former racing driver. He made his Formula One debut for the 1997 season, with Jordan Grand Prix. In 2001, Ralf achieved his first Grand Prix.
His activities and hobbies other than racing are sky diving, horse riding, motorcycle racing, and also, Schumacher played football for FC Echichens, his local team.
The legend racer is a special ambassador to UNESCO, donating 1.5 million euros to the organization. During his career, Schumacher donated a lot of money to various charities.
Michael Schumacher Quotes
One of the most amusing parts of SportMob's article on top facts about Michael Schumacher is a look back at his most controversial quotes.
On money he gave to his father
"The first thing, when I got the money, I knew I would support somebody. And the person I supported was my family. Because we were really in debt with the money. And - so I gave to my father this suitcase full of money. And he couldn't believe it. And that was something very special."
On people around him
"People get excited around me and behave differently than they would normally. I don't feel different from anyone else, except that I drive a racing car round in circles faster than somebody else."
On his retirement
"I retired simply because I didn't have the passion and motivation anymore; I was tired. At the time I thought, 'Well, I had a great time, there is the end.' At some moment, there is the right time to call it an end."
On youngster who have come into Formula One
"Those who have come into Formula One without experiencing cars devoid of electronic aids will find it tough. To control 800 horse power relying just on arm muscles and foot sensitivity can turn out to be a dangerous exercise."
On Formula One
"You arrive at Formula One being very skeptical, how far can your talent deal with all this, and then you understand those guys are human and pretty reasonable, and finally succeeding in winning your first race, in circumstance as such, it was just an amazing moment."
On his kids
"My kids are not known, and I think that is very important. So far they have lived a normal life, and will continue to do so. I feel they should have the possibility to live a free life without the burden of fame I have created."
On his time at Ferrari
"It's certainly a desirable side-effect. But I did it mostly because I felt like it, because at the moment I'm more eager to be driving than I have been for a long time. At Ferrari we never want to have as miserable a season as the last one."
On his last race
"After each of my world championship victories, I gave myself two months off to tune out and revitalize myself. I had no qualms about taking time off. But now it's a different situation. I don't have the feeling that I've earned a break. But I do feel the urge to get things moving again. That's why I hit the gym the minute I returned home after the last race of the season in China."
On being in a good shape
"Psychologically speaking, it's very important to be in good shape. I work in a sport that requires you to react quickly and be in excellent shape. Besides, things don't get easier as you get older. Last fall I was thinking about my first encounter with Boris Becker. It was in the early '90s, we were both living in Monaco, and we ran into each other at the gym. When I saw Boris working out, I thought to myself: How can he possibly be so good? He just didn't seem motivated. And it didn't take long until his game started tanking. At the time, I swore to myself that this would never happen to me."
Michael Schumacher Records & Achievements
Sportmob's article on top facts about Michael Schumacher will end with a list of Michael Schumacher's individual records and notable achievements. The former German racer held several records during his career, including Most Championship titles (2003), Most consecutive titles (2000 – 2004), Most races left in the season when becoming World Champion (2002), Most wins in a season (2004), Most pole positions at the same Grand Prix (Japan 1994–1995, 1998–2002, 2004), Most wins at the same Grand Prix (France 1994–1995, 1997–1998, 2001–2002, 2004, 2006), and Most seasons with a win (1992–2006).
How did you like our article on
top facts about Michael Schumacher
? Do you know any other facts about him? Comment us your views.
Read More:
DISCLAIMER! Sportmob does not claim ownership of any of the pictures posted on this website. Again, we do not host pictures or videos ourselves. Our authors merely link to the rightful owner. Lastly, Sportmob have carefully considered and reviewed all of its content. Despite that, it is possible that some information might be out-dated or incomplete.