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| Michael Schumacher: F1 champion with a need for speed | Michael Schumacher: F1 champion with a need for speed |
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| Few Formula One drivers take the slippers and Horlicks route in retirement. Four years after retiring from Ferrari, where he won five of his world record seven titles, Michael Schumacher made a comeback with Mercedes in 2010. It was not a success. But his passions for skydiving and motorcycling, as well as his more moderate pastimes of football, horse riding, swimming and skiing, always suggested he was not ready to settle for country strolls and catching up with old friends over a game of dominos. Few sportsmen are as innately competitive as racing drivers, and the instinct lives on. | Few Formula One drivers take the slippers and Horlicks route in retirement. Four years after retiring from Ferrari, where he won five of his world record seven titles, Michael Schumacher made a comeback with Mercedes in 2010. It was not a success. But his passions for skydiving and motorcycling, as well as his more moderate pastimes of football, horse riding, swimming and skiing, always suggested he was not ready to settle for country strolls and catching up with old friends over a game of dominos. Few sportsmen are as innately competitive as racing drivers, and the instinct lives on. |
| When asked what gave him the biggest buzz outside F1, Schumacher replied: "Skydiving," even though he once said he didn't like heights. Earlier this year he took part in a skydive with ex-heavyweight boxing champion David Haye in Dubai. On two wheels, he has raced alongside John McGuinness, the 19-times Isle of Man TT winner, as well as US GP racer Randy Mamola. He has always enjoyed horse riding and bought a ranch for his wife, Corinna, in Givrins in Switzerland, with a number of magnificent horses. And his love for skiing led him to buy a house in Courchevel, in the popular ski region of the French Alps. | When asked what gave him the biggest buzz outside F1, Schumacher replied: "Skydiving," even though he once said he didn't like heights. Earlier this year he took part in a skydive with ex-heavyweight boxing champion David Haye in Dubai. On two wheels, he has raced alongside John McGuinness, the 19-times Isle of Man TT winner, as well as US GP racer Randy Mamola. He has always enjoyed horse riding and bought a ranch for his wife, Corinna, in Givrins in Switzerland, with a number of magnificent horses. And his love for skiing led him to buy a house in Courchevel, in the popular ski region of the French Alps. |
| When he retired from F1 for good in 2012 he said: "From now on life will offer me plenty of new possibilities. I'm looking forward to them. I prefer to be described as a fighter, someone who never backed down." | When he retired from F1 for good in 2012 he said: "From now on life will offer me plenty of new possibilities. I'm looking forward to them. I prefer to be described as a fighter, someone who never backed down." |
| When Ernest Hemingway said: "I would hate to die, ever, because every year I have a better time fishing and shooting, I like them as much as when I was 16," he was 44, the same age as Schumacher today. Papa would surely have approved of the German man of action and his reluctance to concede to the advancing years. | When Ernest Hemingway said: "I would hate to die, ever, because every year I have a better time fishing and shooting, I like them as much as when I was 16," he was 44, the same age as Schumacher today. Papa would surely have approved of the German man of action and his reluctance to concede to the advancing years. |
| Schumacher, of course, as well as being among the very greatest of F1 drivers – though not, perhaps, as pre-eminent as his dominating CV would suggest – was also one of the sport's most ruthless practitioners, as former world champion Damon Hill would ruefully testify. The German, in his pre-Ferrari Benetton years, deliberately drove into Hill as the British driver attempted to overtake him, putting both men out of the race. He was utterly single-minded. | Schumacher, of course, as well as being among the very greatest of F1 drivers – though not, perhaps, as pre-eminent as his dominating CV would suggest – was also one of the sport's most ruthless practitioners, as former world champion Damon Hill would ruefully testify. The German, in his pre-Ferrari Benetton years, deliberately drove into Hill as the British driver attempted to overtake him, putting both men out of the race. He was utterly single-minded. |
| Schumacher was linked to a number of other teams after he was effectively forced to quit Mercedes when the team decided to sign Lewis Hamilton at the end of the 2012 season. For those of us who remember the great driver he undoubtedly was, and witnessed the extent of his decline at Mercedes, his reluctance to return once more came as an epic relief. | Schumacher was linked to a number of other teams after he was effectively forced to quit Mercedes when the team decided to sign Lewis Hamilton at the end of the 2012 season. For those of us who remember the great driver he undoubtedly was, and witnessed the extent of his decline at Mercedes, his reluctance to return once more came as an epic relief. |
| Schumacher was the greatest driver between the era of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost and the modern age of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. In his time – and it was a long time – probably only Mika Häkkinen provided the challenge everyone longed to see. | |
| The fact that he won more championships and races than any other driver in the history of the sport – though his compatriot Sebastian Vettel threatens to dismantle his records – tempts some people to judge him as the greatest driver of them all. | The fact that he won more championships and races than any other driver in the history of the sport – though his compatriot Sebastian Vettel threatens to dismantle his records – tempts some people to judge him as the greatest driver of them all. |
| Most judges, though, stick with Senna and Jim Clark as the champions among the champions. Red Bull may dominate the current F1 scene but even they don't stand out as Ferrari did in the early years of the century. Schumacher was joined there by his old colleagues at Benetton, Ross Brawn, the technical director, and Rory Byrne, the chief designer. And team boss Jean Todt built the most effective outfit in the paddock. Also, Schumacher had tyres virtually custom-made for him by Bridgestone. It was a team that could scarcely fail. But, as today with Vettel and as before with Lotus and Clark and Senna and McLaren, the best team usually ends up with the best driver. | Most judges, though, stick with Senna and Jim Clark as the champions among the champions. Red Bull may dominate the current F1 scene but even they don't stand out as Ferrari did in the early years of the century. Schumacher was joined there by his old colleagues at Benetton, Ross Brawn, the technical director, and Rory Byrne, the chief designer. And team boss Jean Todt built the most effective outfit in the paddock. Also, Schumacher had tyres virtually custom-made for him by Bridgestone. It was a team that could scarcely fail. But, as today with Vettel and as before with Lotus and Clark and Senna and McLaren, the best team usually ends up with the best driver. |
| Schumacher was ruthless and unpopular but he was also very fast. And he brought to his driving a level of consistency his rivals could only envy. | Schumacher was ruthless and unpopular but he was also very fast. And he brought to his driving a level of consistency his rivals could only envy. |
| He was always destined to continue to be fast, even if he altered his mode of transport. | He was always destined to continue to be fast, even if he altered his mode of transport. |
| Schumacher broke most of the important records in F1, so by the time he finally retired in 2012 he had more championships (seven) more race wins (91) and more pole positions (68) than any other driver in the history of the sport. | Schumacher broke most of the important records in F1, so by the time he finally retired in 2012 he had more championships (seven) more race wins (91) and more pole positions (68) than any other driver in the history of the sport. |
| His 13 wins in 2004 was also a record for a single season until Vettel equalled it last year. In 2002 he also became the only driver to finish with a podium place in every race. His record, without any doubt, placed him among the leading handful of drivers of all time, though his ruthless streak – there was a crash with Jacques Villeneuve in 1997 in addition to the Hill incident in 1994 - prevented some from taking him to their hearts. | His 13 wins in 2004 was also a record for a single season until Vettel equalled it last year. In 2002 he also became the only driver to finish with a podium place in every race. His record, without any doubt, placed him among the leading handful of drivers of all time, though his ruthless streak – there was a crash with Jacques Villeneuve in 1997 in addition to the Hill incident in 1994 - prevented some from taking him to their hearts. |
| Senna's death in 1994 – he was the last driver to be killed in a race – robbed the sport of what could have been one of its greatest confrontations. But Senna, at the end of his life, was convinced he was not racing Schumacher on a level playing field – he believed the German was benefiting from electronic driver aids that had been banned after 1993. | Senna's death in 1994 – he was the last driver to be killed in a race – robbed the sport of what could have been one of its greatest confrontations. But Senna, at the end of his life, was convinced he was not racing Schumacher on a level playing field – he believed the German was benefiting from electronic driver aids that had been banned after 1993. |
| Schumacher made an eye-catching F1 debut with Jordan in 1991 and was immediately signed up by Benetton. He won his first race, in Belgium, in his first full season the following year, and won the world title with the team in 1994 and 1995 before joining Ferrari, for whom he won the championship in five successive seasons between 2000 and 2004. | Schumacher made an eye-catching F1 debut with Jordan in 1991 and was immediately signed up by Benetton. He won his first race, in Belgium, in his first full season the following year, and won the world title with the team in 1994 and 1995 before joining Ferrari, for whom he won the championship in five successive seasons between 2000 and 2004. |
| Like many other great drivers, he was excellent in wet conditions. But even the other greats struggled to match his ability to drive his car to the limit for long periods of a race. | Like many other great drivers, he was excellent in wet conditions. But even the other greats struggled to match his ability to drive his car to the limit for long periods of a race. |
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