Ralf Schumacher Biography (2004)

By Andrew Hooper
February 9 2004





		Date and place of birth: 30th June 1975/Hürth (D)
		Nationality: German
		Place of residence: Salzburg (AUT)
		Marital status: Married to Cora, née Brinkmann, one son (David)
		Family: Father Rolf, mother Elisabeth, brother Michael
		Height: 1.78 m
		Weight: 73 kg
		Hobbies: Kart racing, tennis, cycling, backgammon
		Favourite dish: Pasta
		Favourite drink: Apple juice mixed with sparkling water
		First drove a kart: At the age of three
		First drove a car: At the age of 18 in a borrowed BMW Alpina B10 Biturbo
		First car race: June 1992 in the BMW ADAC Formula Junior, Norisring, Nuremberg (GER)
		First racing car: BMW ADAC Formula Junior
		First win: Kart club race at the age of six


	1991	Winner of the NRW Cup Winner of the Gold Cup German Junior Karting Champion.
	1992	Runner-up in the German Karting Championship Drove his first ADAC BMW Junior race in which he finished second.
	1993	Runner-up in the ADAC BMW Junior Formula Championship Test driving plus one race in Formula 3 for WTS team.
	1994	Third place in the German Formula 3 Championship behind Jörg Muller and Alexander Wurz.
	1995	Runner-up in the German Formula 3 Championship. Winner of the Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix. In November, Ralf was invited to Suzuka to test a Formula Nippon car for the Le Mans team who subsequently offered him a drive for the 1996 season.
	1996	All Nippon Japanese F3000 Championship winner with two race wins. Runner-up in the Japanese GT Championship with three race wins. Towards the end of 1996, Ralf tested a McLaren Mercedes at Silverstone and was subsequently offered a testing contract with the team. He declined the offer and signed a contract to join the Jordan team as race driver in 1997.
	1997	Formula One - Jordan. Ralf's best result was third place in Argentina which was only his third Formula One race. He went on to score five more points finishes and was placed 11th in the 1997 FIA Formula One World Drivers' Championship.
	1998	Formula One - Jordan. Ralf's most impressive result to date has been a second place in the dramatic 1998 Belgian Grand Prix where Ralf proved that he could turn potential into points. He was placed 10th in the 1998 FIA Formula One World Drivers' Championship.
	1999	Formula One - Winfield WilliamsF1. Sixth in World Championship.
	2000	BMW Williams F1 Team: Fifth in the FIA Formula One World Championship, best results third place in Melbourne (AUS), Spa (BEL) and Monza (ITA).
	2001	BMW Williams F1 Team: Fourth in the FIA Formula One World Championship, wins at Imola (SMR), Montreal (CAN) and Hockenheim (GER); pole position in Magny-Cours (FRA), lap records in Sao Paulo (BRA), Imola (SMR), Montreal (CAN), Monza (ITA) and Suzuka (JPN).
	2002	BMW Williams F1 Team: Fourth in the FIA Formula One World Championship, victory in Sepang (MYS).
	2003	BMW WilliamsF1 Team: Fifth in the FIA Formula One World Championship, wins at Nürburgring (GER) and Magny-Cours (FRA); pole position in Monte Carlo (MCO), Montreal (CAN) and Magny-Cours (FRA); lap record in Suzuka (JPN).