Michael Schumacher display at DVAG conference center in Marburg/Germany

The 2021 Formula 1 season starting in Bahrain on March 14^th is expected to lead to Lewis Hamilton’s record breaking 8^th F1 world championship. He drew even with Schumi’s seven world championships last year and will most likely win the title in 2021 as well with the Mercedes team to be hard to beat since 2014.

However, Hamilton is not winning the BOAT – Best of all times – title from me. He won six out of his seven world championships with the superior team nobody else was able to beat. He took over the seat when Michael Schumacher retired from F1 racing and it is without any question that much of the development work which lead up for Mercedes to be the ultimate contender was done by Michael Schumacher as he did for the Ferrari before winning five consecutive titles with them.

But we must not forget how often Michael was the runner up in the championships and that he won his first two championships with the Benetton team in a car powered by a V* Ford Cosworth engine competing against the V10 Renault and V12 Ferrari engines. In his first championship winning year he was even banned to compete in two races due to a wooden board in the under carriage being just a few millimeters too thin. Despite the Renault powered Williams having 100hp more as the Benetton Michael Schumacher won the championship finishing one race as second on the podium with his gearbox being stuck in 5^th gear.

That is why Michael Schumacher has still a huge fan base across the globe even after retiring from Formula 1 and after his tragic skiing accident. He is considered by many to be the best Formula One driver of later times.

Throughout his career Michael was sponsored from the early Karting days on by Deutsche Vermögens Gesellschaft or DVAG. Michael’s son Mick Schumacher is nowadays also sponsored by DVAG. With their headquarters in Marburg, Germany, DVAG arranged for a wonderful display at their Conference center honoring Michael Schumacher. I was able to visit it with my wife Maria on a cold December day. A wonderful display honoring my Formula One hero, seven time world champion Michael Schumacher.