The seven-time world champion, Michael Schumacher, is a Formula 1 icon. He was also a big fan of his Tillett gear back in his karting days.
Let’s test your knowledge - how well do you know Michael Schumacher?
Schumacher is a man with many nicknames. The first two, ‘Schumi’ and ‘Rain King’ are fairly self-explanatory. His third nickname though, ‘The Red Baron’, may need explaining.
Schumacher is not the first person to be given the nickname ‘The Red Baron’. German fighter pilot, Manfred von Richthofen, was given the nickname by the British during World War 1 because he flew a red plane and was the top-rated fighter pilot during the war. Michael Schumacher is also German, he was also associated with the colour red because he drove for Ferrari, and was undeniably the best driver at the time.
Schumacher is widely regarded as one of the best Formula 1 drivers of all time. One look at his career and accomplishments and it’s easy to see why.
When Michael eventually retired (for the second time), he ended his career with 155 podium finishes from a total of 306 races, 91 wins and a record-breaking 7 World Championships. When Schumacher retired in 2012, Lewis Hamilton was the successor to his seat at Mercedes and has since gone on to tie Schumacher's record of 7 World Championships and has beaten his record of the most race wins in Formula 1 history at 103.
When Schumacher joined Ferrari in 1996, they were a team in disarray and without a champion since Jody Scheckter in 1979. In 1998, Schumacher and Ferrari finished 2nd. The 1999 season saw Schumacher break his leg in a crash at the British Grand Prix. From then on, no one had any chance of stopping Schumacher's dominance.
In 2000, Schumacher became Ferrari's first champion in 21 years. He then went on to win the World Championship for the next 4 years in succession.
Like most Formula 1 drivers, Michael’s love of racing came from karting. Michael first stepped foot in a kart at the age of 4, he won his first race at the age of 5 and then he won his first karting championship at the age of 6. In 1984 and 1985 Michael won the German Junior Karting Championship, and in 1987 he took it a step further by winning the German and European karting titles. The next year at age 19, he left karting and signed as a driver for Willi Weber's WTS Formula 3 (F3) team.
If you are serious about kart racing, you should settle for nothing less than the absolute best equipment. Not just for optimal performance, but also for maximum safety.
Schumacher was a big fan of his Tillett equipment, in his early karting days he would only ever use Tillett Seats and Tillett Rib Protectors. This dedication to top-tier equipment not only enhanced his performance but also played a crucial role in his development as a driver.
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In late 2013, Michael was on holiday with his family in the French Alps where he had a terrible accident whilst Skiing that resulted in severe brain damage. Schumacher was airlifted to a hospital in France where he immediately underwent two life-saving surgeries, after which he was placed into a medically induced coma.
Michael spent 250 days in the coma and now receives full-time medical care at the family’s home in Switzerland. Michael has not been seen in public since the accident, but his wife, Corinna, occasionally speaks publicly with an update on Michael’s health condition.
After Michael's accident, fans encouraged him using the hashtag #KeepFighting. Every day when Michael's wife Corinna drove to the hospital in Lausanna, she would see #KeepFighting graffiti on one of the motorway bridges. The graffiti inspired Corinna to come up with the idea for the Keep Fighting Foundation.
“The Keep Fighting Foundation would like to give the positive energy that Michael Schumacher and his family received for so many years back to you - the people who sent it out. We want to do good by supporting charitable projects. The message here is to show that giving up is not an option.”
Mick was born in 1999, at a time where Michael had already won 2 of his eventual 7 world championships. In 2015, Mick upgraded from kart racing to car racing and made his debut in the German Formula 4. Initially entered into events using the surname Betsch, Mick was later dubbed ‘Mick Junior’ as he moved up the ranks. He finished second in his rookie season, prompting a move into what was then called the European F3 and winning the title in his second year. Mick moved up to Formula 2 in 2019 and in the same year signed to the Ferrari Driver Academy.
In 2020, Mick was announced as the newest Haas driver for the 2021 F1 season. Mick kicked off his Formula 1 career by qualifying 19th in Bahrain before finishing the race in 16th. Ultimately, Mick’s debut season ended 19th in the championship with 0 points. His second season with Haas was better, finishing 16th with 12 points. In the 2023 and the current 2024 season, Mick is a reserve driver for Mercedes, waiting for his opportunity to get back on to the grid.
If you found this article interesting, you might want to read our ‘How Well Do You Know Lando Norris?’ article!
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