Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher; born 3 January 1969) is a German retired racing driver. He is a seven-time Formula One World Champion and is widely regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time. He was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year twice. He won two titles with Benetton in 1994 and 1995 before moving to Ferrari where he drove for eleven years. His time with Ferrari yielded five consecutive titles between 2000 and 2004...
NationalityGerman
ProfessionRace Car Driver
Date of Birth3 January 1969
CityHurth, Germany
CountryGermany
Psychologically speaking, it's very important to be in good shape. I work in a sport that requires you to react quickly and be in excellent shape. Besides, things don't get easier as you get older.
When you start out in a team, you have to get the teamwork going and then you get something back.
Mika Hakkinen was the best opponent (I've had) in terms of his quality, but the biggest admiration I had for him was we had 100% fight on track but a totally disciplined life off track. We respected each other highly and let each other live quietly.
Ferrari always tries to get the best possible drivers, and my fellow team members have always been highly promising people.
In sport there is never any moment that is the same as the other. I have been in Formula One for 12 years, and out of that I had one year with the perfect car.
If you imagine how many years the other guys have been in my position Im in now, they have been motivated to get back and challenge the leaders, ... Theres no reason not to be motivated and I look forward very much to challenging again.
I like working in a team, and at Ferrari there is always good cooperation.
The switch from ten-cylinder to eight-cylinder engines means that each manufacturer has to redevelop its power train. Not all will manage to successfully combine performance with reliability the first time around. That could shake things up a bit when it comes team hierarchy.
If I didn't even stand a chance of winning races and competing for the title, I don't think I would be that interested in continuing my career.
Ross Brawn knows that I prefer to have odd race numbers.
If you do things to the limit, and don’t purposely go over that limit, then I think it’s fine to do whatever you want. So long as you enjoy it. That’s what’s important.
Technology has certainly reduced performance differences among drivers. Whereas a talented driver could get a half-second out of every lap in the past, nowadays talent makes up for only about one or two tenths of a second. But the driver is still the key factor.
I'm not very comfortable with what people sometimes say or think about me - things I don't feel responsible for.
Everyone is replaceable, including me.