Ralf Schumacher was born near Cologne in Hürth-Hermulheim, Germany. He was a German F1 driver known for his time with Jordan, Williams and Toyota and the younger brother of Michael Schumacher, a seven-time World Champion.
| Nationality | German |
|---|---|
| Born | Ralf Schumacher 30 June 1975 Hürth, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany |
His racing career began at the age of three on a go-kart track owned by his parents in Kerpen. In 1995, he secured third place in the German Formula 3 championship, followed by a victory in the 1996 Japanese Formula Nippon championship (formerly Japanese F3000), where he won two races.
Ralf’s Formula One debut came in 1997 with the Jordan team, achieving a podium finish in his third race in Argentina. Despite numerous retirements that season, he switched to the Williams team in 1999 after securing a deal with BMW, achieving three podium finishes and sixth place in the World Drivers Championship with a less powerful Supertec engine. His replacement at Jordan, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, enjoyed two wins and four podiums that year.
The 2000 season was seen as somewhat disappointing for Ralf despite running a potent new BMW engine and being the senior driver. He managed only three podium finishes, the same as the previous year. However, 2001 was a breakthrough year, with his first three Grand Prix wins in Imola, Montreal, and Hockenheim. He added another victory at the 2002 Malaysian Grand Prix but ended the season behind teammate Juan Pablo Montoya. In 2003, victories at the European Grand Prix at the Nürburgring and the French Grand Prix helped the Williams team to finish second in the Constructors Championship in both 2002 and 2003.
On June 20, 2004, Ralf suffered severe injuries in a crash at the 2004 United States Grand Prix, experiencing one of the highest recorded decelerations in motor racing history, resulting in a concussion and minor fractures to his spine.
In 2005, he moved to the Toyota team. Although initially outperformed by teammate Jarno Trulli, Ralf showed strong form at Spa, claiming the fastest lap, and took pole position in Japan with the updated “B” version of the TF105 car. He finished third in the Chinese Grand Prix, securing sixth place in the Drivers Championship, two points ahead of Trulli. Ralf continued with Toyota till 2007 before retiring from the sport.
Ralf Schumacher Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 1997–2007 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Jordan, Williams, Toyota |
| Entries | 182 (180 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 6 |
| Podiums | 27 |
| Career points | 329 |
| Pole positions | 6 |
| Fastest laps | 8 |
| First entry | 1997 Australian Grand Prix |
| First win | 2001 San Marino Grand Prix |
| Last win | 2003 French Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix |
Sources: Wikipedia.com and Historicracing.com
