Thread: The 10 Best M. Schumacher Wins

From ITVF1.com

1992 Belgium (Benetton)

The first win at the venue that became synonymous with Schumacher?s career. In just his 18th grand prix, the 23-year-old German showed the awareness of a veteran after spinning off in the wet-dry race.
After rejoining behind team-mate Martin Brundle, he noticed the Briton?s tyres were blistering, so came in for dries and duly won the race ahead of the all-conquering Williams-Renaults.

1995 Belgium (Benetton)

Schumacher qualified in 16th ? the lowest position of his career so far ?but scythed through the field to amazingly lead the race by lap 15.
However he soon had Damon Hill in the Williams chasing him down on wet tyres as rain began to fall.

It should have been easy pickings for the Briton, as his nemesis was on dries, but Schumacher used some of the most robust defensive tactics ever seen to unbelievably cling on to the lead. Hill eventually got by, but Michael still took the win dealing a huge psychological blow to his rival.

1995 Europe (Benetton)

A brilliant victory at the Nurburgring that summed up his second championship-winning year with Benetton. In another wet race, Michael came out from his final pit stop 24 seconds behind leader Jean Alesi (Ferrari) with just 16 laps to go. It would have been game over for most, but not for the German who sensationally reeled the Italian in before overtaking around the outside in to the final chicane with only a handful of laps remaining.

1996 Spain (Ferrari)

Arguably Schumacher?s greatest ever win was also his first for Ferrari in torrential rain in Spain.

After dropping from third to ninth at the start, the reigning champion sailed back up through the field picking off the Benettons for third, then second by lap nine before cruising past Jacques Villeneuve for the lead on lap 12. A truly stunning drive in horrendous conditions.

1997 Monaco (Ferrari)

Of Schumacher?s five Monaco wins this one was undoubtabely the best.

His gamble of switching to an intermediate set-up before the start proved to be an inspired move as rain began to fall on the parade lap.
While many of his rivals (famously Williams) floundered at the start, Michael was again a class apart building up a 7s lead by the end of the first lap alone. He could even afford to lose 10s with a late spin at Ste Devote and still win by almost a minute.

1998 Hungary (Ferrari)

The race where Ross Brawn famously told his star driver that all he had to do to win was build a 25 second lead in just 19 laps before his final pit stop. As difficult a task as you are likely to get in F1, made harder by the fact that your rivals have the fastest car! But a nifty switch of strategy and a relentless sequence of qualifying-style laps from the German were enough to take the most unlikely of victories.

2000 Japan (Ferrari)

The win that finally secured Michael that elusive first title for Ferrari came after he edged an intense two day battle with rival Mika Hakkinen.
After piping the Finn in qualifying, Schumacher lost the lead at the start, but matched the McLaren man lap for lap until just before the second round of stops. A sprinkling of rain then gave Michael the edge and after Hakkinen pitted he put in two stunningly quick laps to pit and hold the lead, ending four years of hurt.

2002 Belgium (Ferrari)

This gets into our top 10 as it emphasises how Schumacher was operating at the peak of his powers in 2002.

With his fifth championship already in the bag some two months before, the German kept on rolling at Spa handing out a driving master class to the field. After easing to pole, he obliterated everyone in the race, setting a succession of fastest laps from the off ? his best at the end a second quicker than team-mate Rubens Barrichello?s and 2s faster than the next non-Ferrari runner.

2003 Austria (Ferrari)
If any of Schumacher's wins demonstrated his ability to bounce back from setbacks it was Austria 2003 ? after a fire broke out when his car was getting refuelled in his first pit stop!
Leading the race, he stopped on lap 23 but the side of his car was soon engulfed in flames after a few drops of fuel from the refuelling nozzle dropped onto his hot F2003-GA.

However there was no panic from Michael, who remained unperturbed in the cockpit while the Ferrari mechanics rushed to put the fire out. It cost him the lead and 20 seconds ? but Schumacher being Schumacher roared back to win the race.

2004 France (Ferrari)

Another Schumacher-Brawn masterpiece, this time at Magny-Cours midway through Michael?s record-breaking 2004 season.
Ferrari decided to switch Schumacher from his originally planned three stops to an extraordinary four to try and jump the Spaniard.
In a virtual re-run of his exploits at the Hungaroring some six years before, Schumacher?s unrivalled ability to suddenly up the pace when it matters paid dividends again as he put in a stunning sequence of fast laps in the final two stints of the race to get one over on his future rival.

2003 Austria (Ferrari):
Isn't that where Barrichello slowed down and moved over on the final corner to hand Schumacher victory? Surely that'd be one of the victories he, and his fans, would most like to forget!