Michael Schumacher

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Michael Schumacher (born 3rd January, 1969 in Hürth, West Germany) is a German former Formula One driver who won the Drivers Championship in 1999.

His younger brother, Ralf raced in F1 - as well as his son Mick who is currently racing in the FIA F2 World Championship.

Michael Schumacher, pictured in 1998.

Formula One

1998-: Ferrari

By 1998, Schumacher was the team leader at Scuderia Ferrari, racing alongside popular British driver David Coulthard. Schumacher's season got off to a somewhat unremarkable start, retiring in Australia before hitting back with a second place finish in Brazil and a win in Argentina.

Despite taking three wins to his Scottish teammate's one - Coulthard had the measure of the Ferrari F300 over Schumacher - and the McLarens of Häkkinen and Davies being far superior to the Maranello machines. Schumacher would finish in fourth place overall - 43 points behind eventual champion Häkkinen.

The following season, Schumacher would remain with Coulthard and Ferrari. Much like the previous year, it initially seemed like Coulthard had a better hold of the new F399 - but Schumacher would follow the Scot's two wins in the opening races with an emphatic win at Imola. 1999 would be more open than the previous season, with Ferrari and McLaren not enjoying the same dominance they shared in 1998. Wins were harder to come by for the German, and he'd take only two more wins over the course of the year - taking the flag in Great Britain and Portugal. A four way title battle between Schumacher, Coulthard, Frentzen and Häkkinen was contested until the very final race at Estoril - but it would be Schumacher who would take the 1999 crown.