The year was 1996. A 27-year-old German started creating a massive buzz in Formula 1, winning two World Drivers’ Championships and 19 Grands Prix.Sensing his greatness, Ferrari roped in the young star, hoping he could end their painful title drought stretching all the way back to Jody Scheckter in 1979. He didn't disappoint. Over the next decade, he helped transform Ferrari from an unstable, underachieving squad into one of the most dominant forces in Formula 1 history.That man was none other than the legend himself: Michael Schumacher.
Ferrari is marking the 30th anniversary of Schumacher’s arrival at Maranello and they are using a special livery at this weekend's Italian Grand Prix. The livery is inspired by the car Schumacher drove during his debut season with the Scuderia, the 1996 Ferrari F310. It also features his logo and the seven stars he used to carry on his helmet to show his seven world titles. Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel will also take his childhood hero’s F2002 out for a demonstration lap ahead of Sunday's race. With Ferrari reflecting on its greatest era, let us look back at the Schumacher-Ferrari story.
A livery fit for home 🏡 Our Monza livery is here, inspired by the lasting impact of Michael Schumacher on our team ❤️ pic.twitter.com/MWGlJi4miv
Schumacher’s Ferrari chapter got off to a solid start, taking three brilliant wins in 1996. He followed that up with five more victories in 1997, but that season ended in deep humiliation. Schumacher tried to unsuccessfully ram his title rival Jacques Villeneuve’s Williams off the road during the title-deciding final race at Jerez in Spain and, in the process, damaged his own car and retired on the spot. Villeneuve carried on to finish third, clinching the Drivers' Championship. An investigation was soon launched into the incident and the FIA excluded Schumacher from the entire 1997 championship standings, though his official race wins and points tally remained intact.The incident deeply divided fans and many labelled him a villain, as it was the second such controversy involving him. A similar controversial collision also occurred in Adelaide during the 1994 title decider with Damon Hill.Schumacher now faced the humongous task of rebuilding his reputation. The thing that set him apart from the other drivers was his unmatched work ethic and relentless determination. He frequently visited the team's factory in Maranello, spent time with mechanics and engineers, provided feedback and worked tirelessly towards the ultimate goal- becoming a world champion again.But the results did not come immediately. Schumacher once again finished second in 1998 and his 1999 campaign was cut short after he suffered a broken leg in a crash at the British Grand Prix.
Hard work always pays off and in 2000, the true Schumacher era began. He gave Ferrari its first Drivers' Championship in 21 years and went on to win four more titles consecutively. In the 2001 season, he won nine races and finished on the podium in 14 of the 17 Grands Prix. A year later, he won 11 races and finished on the podium in every race of the season and in 2003, Schumacher surpassed Juan Manuel Fangio's record of five world titles, which had stood for nearly five decades, by claiming his sixth championship and becoming the most successful driver in Formula 1 history at the time.He then added a seventh title to his name in 2004, producing one of the most dominant individual seasons the sport had ever seen by winning 13 of the 18 races.After finishing runner-up to Fernando Alonso in 2006, Schumacher decided to hang up his helmet at age 37, with a total of 91 Grand Prix victories, which was 40 more than his nearest rival at the time, Alain Prost.
Schumacher reversed his decision to retire three years later after serving as a consultant for Ferrari. He made a dramatic return to the grid in 2010 at age 41 to drive for the newly formed Mercedes works team. But he couldn't replicate his championship highs and only secured a podium during his three years with the team. At the age of 43, he finally decided to step away from F1 permanently, ending his career after the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix.Tragically, just one year into his retirement, Schumacher suffered severe head trauma in a skiing accident during a family holiday. He spent nearly six months in a medically induced coma and has remained private, out of the public eye, ever since.Though he remains absent from public view, his legacy on the grid is immortal.