5 lesser-known facts about Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher is undoubtedly one of the greatest drivers in F1 history. For millions worldwide, Schumacher's name is synonymous with the sport, making him a mammoth in the sporting world in general.

Having been a superstar, a lot of details about Schumacher's life and career are well known. However, there are some details and facts that aren't widely known among his fans and even followers of F1.

Here, we take a look at some of the lesser-known facts about the seven-time world champion.

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#5 The German F1 legend was a mechanic before becoming a driver

Michael Schumacher in his racing days

Michael Schumacher is a trained mechanic and used to work as an apprentice in a go-kart shop before he became a professional racing driver. He learned to fix and maintain go-karts at a young age, which helped him better understand the mechanics of race cars and gave him an edge over his competitors.

His championship-winning pace on track is proof of his incredible technical knowledge. The German driver was an all-rounder in the sport.

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#4 Michael Schumacher is a huge soccer fan

Although Schumie is renowned as a racing legend, that is not his sole interest. He possesses a great fondness for soccer and has participated in several amateur clubs in Switzerland, where he managed to score some remarkable goals.

He holds a particular affinity for FC Köln, hailing from his home country Germany, and Newcastle United, which competes in the English Premier League.

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#3 Michael Schumacher had a lucky charm

F1 Testing in Valencia - Day One

The former Ferrari world champion reportedly used to wear an African Shamballa bracelet at almost every Grand Prix weekend, making it a special item in his life. While we can't be too sure if the bracelet was the source of his supreme F1 skills, the driver certainly relied on the supposed lucky charm for good results in his races.

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#2 Schumacher donated a large amount of money to an earthquake relief fund

Michael Schumacher demonstrated immense generosity by contributing $10 million towards relief efforts following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. This exceeded the donations made by most other athletes, certain sports leagues, corporations, and even some countries.

It's possible that Schumacher's bodyguard, Burkhard Cramer, and his two sons being among the tsunami victims influenced his decision to donate generously.

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#1 Michael Schumacher vacationed with the Verstappens

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen's father, Jos Verstappen, was Schumacher's teammate in the early phase of his career and got quite close to the seven-time world champion. The two families have been on vacation together, with Max calling the German 'Uncle Michael'.

Whether Max Verstappen's racing career benefitted from vacationing with the F1 legend is entirely a matter of speculation. However, the two-time world champion has been likened to Schumacher by many in the F1 world.