Formula One Career
Nationality German
Active years 1991 – 2006
Team(s) Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari
Grands Prix 250
Championships 7 (1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004)
Wins 91
Podium finishes 154
Pole positions 68
Fastest laps 76
First Grand Prix 1991 Belgian Grand Prix
First win 1992 Belgian Grand Prix
Last win 2006 Chinese Grand Prix
Last Grand Prix 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix
Formula One records
As of the end of the 2006 Formula One Season, Michael Schumacher holds the following F1 records:
Career Records:
Most championship titles: 7
Most consecutive championship titles: 5
Most race wins: 91
Most consecutive race wins: 7 (in 2004 - European GP, Canadian GP, United States GP, French GP, British GP, German GP, Hungarian GP)
This record is shared with Ascari, who won the last 6 races of 1952 and the first one of 1953. The following race was the Indianapolis 500, in which he did not participate. Afterwards he won other two races, but since the Indy 500 was officially part of the F1 World Championship, his winning streak was already over.
Most race wins with one team: 72 with Ferrari
Most race wins at the same GP: 8 at the French Grand Prix (Magny-Cours)
Most different GPs (by country) won: 20
Most time between first and last race wins: 14 years, 1 month and 2 days
Most second place finishes: 43
Most podium finishes: 154
Most consecutive podium finishes: 19 (from the 2001 United States Grand Prix, until the 2002 Japanese Grand Prix)
Most points finishes: 190
Most laps leading: 4741 (with a total of 22,155 km in 131 Grands Prix)
Most pole positions: 68
Most starts from first row: 108
Most fastest laps: 76
Most doubles (pole position and race win): 40
Most hat-trick (pole position, race win and fastest lap): 22
Most championship points: 1,369
Most consecutive race finished without retirement: 24 (from the 2001 Hungarian Grand Prix, until the 2003 Malaysian Grand Prix)
Most championship points in a season for a vice-world champion: 121 (out of a maximum of 180)
Most Wins in a season for a vice-world champion: 7 (ties Alain Prost and Kimi Raikkonen)
Only racing driver ever, in any racing class, to win 5 times at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Only racing driver ever, in any racing class, to win 5 times at Autodromo Nazionale Monza
2004:
Most race wins in a season: 13 (out of 18 races)
Most fastest laps in a season: 10 (out of 18 races; tied by Räikkönen in 2005)
Most championship points in a season: 148 (out of a maximum of 180)
2002:
Most podium finishes in a season: 17 (out of 17 races)
The one major record Schumacher missed out on was the record for most Grands Prix competed in. His final race was his 250th so he finished 6 short of Riccardo Patrese’s record of 256. Other records he did not break were the one for most pole positions in a season, as held by Nigel Mansell (14), and for most consecutive pole positions, held by Ayrton Senna (8).
However, the record for the highest winning strike rate, is held by Juan Manuel Fangio, with 24 wins from 51 starts (47.1%) to Schumacher’s 36.4%.
He was the youngest double World Champion when he won the championship in 1995 with 26 years, 9 months and 19 days of age, but this record was beaten by Fernando Alonso in 2006, when he won his 2nd championship aged only 25 years, 3 months and 24 days.
Well this guy did all he could this season…its just that luck didn’t want him to win the title. It was even steven before the last race…and that engine failure meant that the title was virtually Alonso’s. So Michael had to race his final race of his glittering career for Ferrari. And then again lucks decides to play with him. He had fuel problems in qualifying…started from 10th place…has a tyre problem on the ninth lap…gets demoted to the last place on the gird…fights back…clocks the fastest lap…overtakes Fisichella and Raikkonen and ends up 4th. Now what could you ask from him. I mean this is fantastic. A See-Saw race for Michael. He did all he could to fight…but it couldn’t help. He once again showed us what we call “Michael Magic” in the last race of his career. It was really a drive of grit and determination which saw him nearly close to the podium from the last place. He really is special…and what a way to end the race…he clocks the fastest lap of the race in the final lap!!! Talk about commitment till the end…he really put his 100% and now he’s going to be away from the sport…leaving behind 16 illustrious years behind him…leaving behind the memories…the good the bad…the joy and jubilation…the tears and humiliation…whatever you may call it…but he gave us what no one ever did…the Michael Magic. Farewell Michael we will miss you.
