General

Ralf Schumacher blows out 45 candles today

Ralf Schumacher blows out 45 candles today

30-06-2020 07:21

GPblog.com

Ralf Schumacher is getting another year older today. The former Formula 1 driver drove over 180 Formula 1 races between 1997 and 2007. He is the six year old younger brother of racing legend Michael Schumacher.

The German began his racing career after karting in Formula 3 and Formula Nippon before joining Eddie Jordan's team in 1997. For two seasons he stayed with the team where he was allowed to go on the podium three times, but the best for him is yet to come.

Victories

Michael Schumacher is not the only member of the family to have won races in the king's class of motor racing. After two years with the team of Jordan, Schumacher signs with Frank Williams. It is not a pleasant divorce between Jordan and Schumacher. Brother Michael even has to pay two million to Jordan so Ralf can sign with Williams and the contract with Jordan, which lasted another year, can be torn up.

The forced divorce turned out to be a good move. These are the years in which the German achieves his six victories in Formula 1, spread over three years. Besides victories Schumacher also manages to qualify first six times on Saturday, of which five times at Williams.

Toyota and DTM

Since 2005 Schumacher drives for Toyota with Jarno Trulli next to him. Although he doesn't run a bad season with two podium finishes and a pole position in the first year, the expectations one year later turn out to be too much of a good thing. The team sets victories as their goal but does not succeed. Schumacher only manages to reach the podium once in Australia.

2007 won't be the year that De Duister had hoped for either, but it will be his last year in Formula 1 despite trying to get a seat at Racing Point. From 2008 Schumacher decides that he is looking for the happiness of motorsport in the DTM. For five years he drives for Mercedes while his brother also drives a few years for Mercedes in Formula 1.

In March 2013 Schumi II likes it and hung his racing shoes on the willows.