Schumacher, Michael [key], 1969–, German auto race driver, b. Hürth-Hermühlheim. Regarded as the best Formula 1 (F1) driver of his era, he debuted as a racecar driver in 1988 and within two years had become Germany's Formula Three champion. His first F1 race was the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix, and his first F1 victory was in the same event in 1992. Schumacher drove with the Jordan team (his first race), Benetton (1991–95), Ferrari (1995–2006), and Mercedes (2010–12). He won the world championship in 1994, repeating the feat in 1995. His career was interrupted in 1999, when he suffered a broken leg in his first severe crash, but in 2000 he began a five-year reign as world champion, becoming the first driver to win the F1 title seven times. Schumacher's 91 F1 career race wins set a record (since broken by Lewis Hamilton). He retired in 2012, and was severely injured in a skiing accident in 2013.
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