Arguably the greatest Formula One driver of all time, German Michael Schumacher was born in January 1969. His love of driving blossomed early when he took to karting at the tender age of 6. He went on to win a number of karting championships almost immediately. At 18 he made his first foray into the world of single seat car racing and was soon signed on to a Formula Three team. From there, his career took off.
Formula One Career
Known for his fast laps at important moments, Schumacher cemented himself as one to watch. He is the only driver to ever win seven Formula One World Championships. In addition to this feat, five were consecutive. Driving predominantly for Ferrari, he also holds records in most Grand Prix wins – 91, most pole positions at 68 and the highest number of fastest laps with 77. This makes him statistically the best driver in the history of the sport. Whilst he was driving in Formula One for a while, it wasn’t until his transition in 1996 that really saw both him and them transform into the winning combination they became. He retired in 2006 only to return in 2012 to drive for Mercedes. The run was less successful and in 2012 he retired once more.
The Accident
In December 2013 tragedy struck. Whilst out skiing with his son, Schumacher crossed an unsecured area of the ski slope, fell and hit his head on a rock. The accident caused him to sustain a severe head injury, one that would have killed him if he had not been wearing a helmet. Upon arrival at the hospital, he was placed in a medically induced coma, a state he remained in for nearly half a year. By mid-2014, he had regained consciousness and was moved to another hospital to continue rehabilitation. At this time there is still very little known about his recovery, if indeed there has been much. It is reported that he has severe memory loss, cannot speak and is paralyzed. It still remains to be seen if this once great driver will ever come back to his former self.Despite this, his successes are still on the record books and he remains a legend and an icon to millions around the world.