Formula 1 legend and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher turns 56 today as he continues his battle against a life-changing brain injury. He can be easily called the greatest of all time considering his achievements in Formula 1 in the modern era. Today let us remember the most important parts of the legend's life.
There is only one Michael Schumacher.
Impressive debut year
Born in 1969, young Michael debuted during the 1991 Formula 1 as a replacement driver at the Belgian Grand Prix for Jordan. He came in place for Bertrand Gachot, who was imprisoned in London for a road rage incident. Mercedes driver Schumacher got a path to enter Formula 1. The team paid $150,000, and Eddie Jordan allowed Schumacher to drive one race for the Jordan team.
He impressed everyone on the paddock by qualifying seventh on a race track where he never raced. Seeing his talent and skills, the Benetton team signed the German for the rest of the 1991 season. In his debut season, he challenged Ayrton Senna and had some incidents with him.
World titles with Benetton
Michael won his first world title in the 1994 season. It was an unforgettable year as we lost the Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna in Imola, and Schumacher was the driver behind Senna chasing him when he crashed on the walls. After Senna's death, Michael became the clear favourite to win the title that year. He won another title in the 1995 season for Benetton.
Historic Ferrari Deal
In 1996, Schumacher made a historic move to Ferrari as world champion. The Italian old horse was struggling in Formula 1, having won their last drivers championship in 1979 and constructors championship in 1983. Signing Schumacher was a dream for them as he was the best driver on the grid. But things didn't go as expected as Michael faced many reliability issues in Ferrari and missed his title chances for four continuous years.
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Becoming an Icon
Michael Schumacher was waiting for the right time to get unleashed, and the year came in 2000. After battling hard and losing to his old friend and rival Mika Hakkinen, Schumacher finally got his breakthrough in 2000. He won 5 consecutive F1 driver titles from 2000 to 2004. He was F1's first seven-time world champion. Schumacher again tried his best to win the title in the 2005 and 2006 seasons, but young Fernando Alonso was too good. In 2006, he announced his retirement from the sport.
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Back to F1 racing with Mercedes
He returned to Formula 1, but this time with Mercedes, the team that made him a Formula 1 driver. He was made to be a teammate alongside 24-year-old Nico Rosberg. But his return stint was not that successful, as many young drivers like Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso were the dominant drivers. The best-ever race finish for him was third. In 2012, he announced his second and final retirement from the sport.
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Horrific Accident
In 2013, December Schumacher was skiing with his then 14-year-old son Mick in the French Alps, where he had a life-changing accident in his head that caused brain damage. According to the doctors, if he hadn't worn a helmet, then his head would have smashed into pieces.
He went to Coma for many months, and after many surgeries, he returned to consciousness. Since then he has been out of the cameras, and his family is keeping him completely private. He is still fighting the battle against the injuries and is invisible to the public eye. But his legacy will be visible to the whole world, and we celebrate the goat’s life on his 56th birthday.
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