biography
| name: |
Schumacher, Michael
|
pronunciation:
[shoomaker]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1969– )
|
| biography:
| Motor-racing driver, born in Hürth-Hermuhlheim, Germany. He began racing karts at the age of five, became German and European Senior Kart champion in 1987, moved up to Formula Ford (1988) and Formula Three (1989), and won the German F3 Championship in 1990. He made his F1 debut with Jordan in 1990, but was immediately given a place in the Benetton team, with whom he became world champion in 1994 and 1995. He joined the (unusually) struggling Ferrari team in 1996, and achieved second place in the 1997 championship, but lost this position following an enquiry into a driving incident in which his car hit Villeneuve's. In 1999, while in contention for the driver's championship, he suffered a broken leg at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, which ended his challenge for the season. He won the world championship for Ferrari in 2000, 2001, and 2002, surpassing Alain Prost's all-time record of 51 Grand Prix wins, and equalling Juan Fangio's total of five world championship wins. |
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