Michael Schumacher has turned 50 today and his family is fighting to keep the details of his health condition under wraps. Recently though, his former boss from Ferrari, Jean Todt, has stated that he watched the Brazilian Grand Prix with the 7-time World Champion. His wife, Corinna, says that he is getting the best care and attention in their home in Switzerland.
Michael Schumacher was born on January 3rd, 1969, in the small town of Hurth, in Germany. That little boy was to become the world’s most successful Formula One driver. The entire team of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport is wishing him the very best on his birthday, 5 years after his horrible ski crash.
The super hero of motor racing achieved 91 race wins and seven Formula One Drivers’ World Championships, figures that turned him into an icon that has dominated the world of racing like no other.
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“Not only did he set an incredible record – a record that is yet to be beaten – but he also shaped and changed the sport forever. He did everything with great determination, from his engineering debriefs to his physical training, and was always searching for new ways to improve his on-track performance”, says Toto Wolff, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas boss.
Young Schumacher joined the pros’ world of speed in 1990, when he entered a Mercedes junior program. He then started to race in Group C sports cars and DTM and won the last race of the season in sports car racing– Michael’s first and only victory with Mercedes.
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One year later he upgraded to Formula One, racing for Jordan and later on, wearing the Benetton suit, with whom he went on to win the Drivers’ World Championship in 1994 and 1995.
In 1996, Michael moved on to Ferrari. That is the moment that one of the most impressive era in Formula One began. where he laid the foundations for one of the most successful eras in Formula One. A whole decade, Schumacher wore the red suit, winning five consecutive Drviers’ titles, between 2000 and 2004 and six consecutive Constructors’ championships, between 1999 and 2004.
He retired from Formula One at the end of the 2006 season, but Mercedes convinced him to return in 2010.
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“I remember when I first met Michael back in 2012, it was on a flight from Zürich to Singapore”, Toto Wolf tells. “He was sitting next to me and asked me if I was up for a game of backgammon. I think that I’m a decent backgammon player, but he absolutely crushed me in the first two rounds, because I was so star-struck. Once I was over that, my game improved, and we ended up playing and talking for the entire flight. We had a really good and honest conversation and when we landed it felt like I had known him for much longer than I actually did.”
A German team winning the World Championship Title with a German driver was the dream of every Formula One fan in Germany. It never happened though, as he never even won a race for Mercedes. But he laid the foundation for the future success.
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“Michael is one of the founding fathers of the success we have had in the last five years,” says Wolff. “There is no other driver like him and his vast experience contributed tremendously in the development of our team. He played a crucial role when we re-joined F1 and was one of the people who laid the foundation for our future success. We’re extremely grateful for everything he did for us. Today, we all tip our hats to you – happy birthday, Michael!”
On his birthday, the Keep Fighting Foundation launches an application available for all fans. The app includes 100+ personalized emoji faces, stickers, quotes and GIF’s related to the super champion.
