Michael Schumacher facts: 7 titles and 77 fastest laps

The rise of Michael Schumacher facts

Michael Schumacher facts start with a racer who built his path step by step, from a pedal kart made from discarded parts to the summit of Formula One. Schumacher competed in Formula One from 1991 to 2006, then returned from 2010 to 2012, and across that career he built a record-setting résumé that included seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles.

He also left Formula One with records in hand. At the time of his retirement, Schumacher held the marks for most wins, pole positions, and podium finishes, and he still holds the record for most fastest laps in Formula One, with 77.

How did Schumacher begin racing?

Schumacher began competitive kart racing at age four, in a pedal kart built from discarded parts. By the age of six, he had won his first club championship.

His early results kept climbing. He won the European karting championship in 1987, then won the 1990 German Formula Three Championship. Those results carried him toward Formula One with a résumé already built across karting and junior formulas.

What happened in his Formula One debut?

Michael Schumacher made his Formula One debut with Jordan at the Belgian Grand Prix in 1991. In his debut qualifying session, he qualified seventh and matched the team's season-best grid position.

That first appearance was followed by his first Formula One victory at the Belgian Grand Prix in 1992. The win came before his first World Drivers' Championship in 1994, the title that began his run at the top of the sport.

When did he become a seven-time champion?

Schumacher won his first World Drivers' Championship in 1994 and defended it in 1995. That second title made him the youngest two-time World Champion in Formula One history.

In 1996, he joined Ferrari on a salary of 60 million dollars over two years. By then, his career already included championship-winning form, a debut that matched a team benchmark, and a growing list of records that would define his place in Formula One history.

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