Did Michael Schumacher cheat to win his maiden F1 world championship?
Michael Schumacher is one of the best drivers to have ever stepped foot into F1.
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Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill (Via: Imago)
F1 has been around since the 1950s and over the years, has produced several spectacular moments. From last-lap dashes to the drivers colliding on the first lap, the fans have seen pretty much everything, but what happened at the final race of the 1994 season, to date is seen in a shady light.
During that season, Michael Schumacher (who was racing for Benetton) and Damon Hill were fighting for the world championship. The former was one point ahead going into the final race after Hill produced two back-to-back victories before Adelaide.
During the final grand prix, Schumacher was in cruise control as he was leading the race, but on lap 35, calamity struck for the German as he made an error and crashed his car into the wall. At this point, it seemed Hill would go on to clinch the title.
However, the moment the Brit came around the vicinity of Schumacher, the latter turned his car toward Hill’s and they both collided. None of them were able to finish the race and in the end, Schumacher was able to secure his maiden world championship. To date, questions have been raised about whether the former seven-time world champion should have been crowned as the title winner in 1994.
Michael Schumacher is an absolute legend of F1
While Michael Schumacher won his first world championship under shady circumstances, there has been no controversy around the next six that he amassed. After 1994, Schumacher was able to win the title again in the following year with the same Benetton outfit.
However, after his 95 triumph, he had to wait until 2000 to secure his third world championship. From this point on, there was no stopping for him as he went on to amass four more titles consecutively with the Maranello-based Ferrari F1 team. During this time, he used to operate at an extremely high level and none of the other drivers were able to match his might. He ended his career with 91 Grand Prix wins, 68 pole positions, and a mammoth 1566 career points.
Michael Schumacher is currently the joint-highest world championship holder in F1 alongside Mercedes’s, Lewis Hamilton, and had he not had his horrific 2013 skiing accident, who knows, he could have broken the joint record. Schumacher has been in a state of medically-induced since his accident and the whole motorsports community has been continuously praying for him to get out of it. He is seen by several pundits as one of the best drivers to have ever graced the pinnacle of motor racing in its long and rich history.
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Rishabh Negi
(3244 Articles Published)