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Michael Schumacher can tie the record for F1 victories this weekend in his native Germany.
By JOANNE KORTH
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 28, 2001
Skeptics, start your engines.
German-born driver Michael Schumacher's next victory will match Alain Prost's record of 51 career Formula One wins. And where do you think the international open-wheel circuit is headed this weekend?
Uh-huh. Germany.
"Of course, it would be great to be able to celebrate a 51st win right here in Hockenheim," Schumacher said of the 2.424-mile course. "Our car has been very competitive on all circuits this year, so I think we can also be optimistic about the German Grand Prix."
Breaking Prost's record would attach a powerful statistic to Schumacher's distinction as one of the world's most talented race drivers. The debate is not if he will break Prost's mark, but when.
"It's going to happen," said Prost, a four-time F1 champion from France who retired after 1993 and became a team owner. "He deserves to have this kind of record. I knew he was very much motivated for this kind of record, which is understandable. You cannot win more than 50 races if you're not good, and he is the best at the moment, one of the best of all time."
Ambitious, self-disciplined and driven to succeed, Schumacher, 32, is a superstar to some, a villain to others. He makes a reported $30-million a season, and endorsements and merchandise sales push his income into the $70-million to $80-million range.
There are Web sites dedicated to him in more than a dozen languages. He has fan clubs worldwide, including one in India. And why not? Over the past decade, Schumacher has made cheering for anyone else practically futile.
Schumacher's supreme self-confidence is sometimes interpreted as arrogance, but he is considered by many to be the best of his generation. His 50 wins have come in 156 F1 races, meaning he wins nearly every third event. In other series he has finished in the top five 49 times.
With 762 career points, he also is closing in on Prost's record of 798.5.
"I am very proud of what I have achieved so far, to be honest, but I'm still motivated to achieve more," Schumacher told the Web site Autosport.
Since making his debut in 1992, Schumacher has won at least once every season. In four seasons with Benetton, he won 19 races and back-to-back World Championships in 1994-95.
But his first championship was tainted by a controversial finish at the season finale, in which Schumacher collided with Englishman Damon Hill to preserve a slim points lead. Both drivers retired from the race, and Schumacher won the title.
In '96, Schumacher left Benetton eager for a new challenge. He joined Ferrari, but instead of quickly delivering the manufacturer's first series title since 1979, Schumacher embarked on the longest championship drought of his career, and again invited controversy.
Battling Canadian Jacques Villeneuve for the championship in the final race of '97, Schumacher collided with Villeneuve in a tight turn at Jerez, Spain. The move backfired, and Villeneuve took the title. But Schumacher, accused of trying to intentionally wreck Villeneuve, was stripped of his second-place finish in the standings. He was allowed to keep his six victories and 78 points.
In '98, Schumacher won six races but finished second to Mika Hakkinen. In '99 he missed the end of the season after breaking a leg at Silverstone, and frustration mounted.
Finally, in 2000, he broke through, winning nine times, including the season's final four races to clinch the title. This season he has eight poles, six victories and four runner-up finishes in 11 races. He holds a commanding 37-point lead over second-place David Coulthard in the standings, and his fourth title is nearly wrapped up.
The only suspense is when Schumacher will pass Prost as Formula One's all-time winner.
"The priority of statistics is secondary," Schumacher told Autosport. "To come to a race and try to win it, it's exciting enough in itself. Thinking ahead to the championship, that is to some degree more exciting than to win the 51st Grand Prix.
"I always tend to think about things when they are done, not before that. (When it happens), maybe my feeling will change."
Schumacher's chances of winning the German Grand Prix were jeopardized last week by a crash in testing at Monza, Italy, after which he flew to his home in Switzerland to recover. He says he is fully recovered and does not expect to be hindered by his lack of testing on quick courses such as Hockenheim, where speeds of 217 mph can be reached.
"I don't think it will be a problem at all and I am really looking forward to my home race," Schumacher said. "You have to consider that I know the circuit and have a certain amount of experience on this track. ... Coming to Hockenheim is always a pleasure."
-- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.
AGE: 32.
NATIONALITY: German.
RESIDENCE: Switzerland.
TEAM: Ferrari.
NOTEWORTHY: Began kart racing as a boy, winning the German Junior Series in 1984 and the German Series in '87. Won '88 and '90 Formula 3 titles before breaking into Formula One in '91. Won once in each of his first two seasons with Benetton before taking the '94 and '95 World Championships. Switched in '96 to Ferrari and won the 2000 championship. Holds a commanding lead in the 2001 standings. Lives on the banks of Lake Geneva and plays for a local soccer club, FC Aubonne.