Michael Schumacher can officially call himself the fastest Taxi driver in the world. In a 2007 visit to South Germany, the former Ferrari driver found his cabbie to be too slow for his liking.
Schumacher was traveling to the airport from Gehuelz, near Coburg. However, the driver was getting late to catch his flight back home to Switzerland. So the 7x world champion decided to take matters into his own hands.
Michael Schumacher – Ferrari pic.twitter.com/aOM5wm7b4c
— Ferrari Italia racecars (@FerrariItalia10) May 19, 2023
The driver asked his designated driver to step aside, giving him an ultimate hair-raising experience. And the German also left a hefty trip as a courtesy for his driver.
Michael Schumacher drove a taxi to reach the airport in time
Michael Schumacher showed his driving excellence in a race against time. However, this time, the German F1 racer was driving a taxi minivan, which is quite different from the Ferrari cars he races with on Sundays.
Not everyone gets to be driven around by an F1 driver, let alone someone as successful as Schumi. His taxi driver, Tuncer Yilmaz, was in awe of the Ferrari driver, who asked him to take the passenger seat when he was getting late to catch his flight.
Yilmaz recognized Schumacher instantly and was confused when the driver requested to take the wheel instead. He said, “I found myself in the passenger seat, which was strange enough. But to have ‘Schumi’ behind the wheel of my cab was incredible,” he shared with Muenchner Abendzeitung.
Schumi floored his Opel Vivaro in the AutoBahn at speeds Yilmaz had never experienced. He continued, “He drove at full throttle around the corners and overtook in some unbelievable places.”
Upon reaching the airport on time, the 7x world champion left a generous tip for his cabbie for allowing him to drive. He gave the driver a 100 Euro tip ($100 presently) on top of the 60 Euro fare.
London taxi driver played a role in giving Schumacher F1 debut
Michael Schumacher made his F1 debut at the 1991 Belgian GP with Jordan. However, the German would have to thank a London cabbie for playing a crucial part in giving him his breakthrough.
For the 1991 season, Jordan signed Andrea de Cesaris and Bertrand Gachot as their main drivers. Garchot had traveled to London to meet team owner Eddie Jordan and some of the team’s sponsors.
On the way to the meet, the Frenchman hit the back of a London taxi. The driver and the cabbie were involved in a heated argument, As the situation quickly escalated, Garchot sprayed the cabbie with Tear gas as a means of defense.
#OTD Michael Schumacher makes his debut thanks to a loan of $150,000 by Mercedes and Bertrand Gachot’s imprisonment for attacking a London taxi driver with CS gas @1990sF1 @FormulaOneWorld
Jordan-Ford 191, 1991 Belgian GP (Spa-Francorchamps) #F1 pic.twitter.com/98wRGfHoSV
— Motorsports in the 2000s (@CrystalRacing) August 25, 2018
He was arrested by the police and charged with actual bodily harm. Garchot was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. This caused Jordan to arrange another driver quickly for the upcoming race in Belgium.
Schumacher received the offer to drive the car. He was contracted to Mercedes, who paid Jordan GP $150,000 for his debut. After setting some sensational laps in a practice session in Silverstone, the German was finally confirmed as the team’s replacement.
Schumacher qualified 7th for the race, which raised everyone’s eyebrows. However, the German retired within the first lap of the race after suffering a clutch failure. Nevertheless, he had made his mark in F1 and the sport had witnessed the humble beginnings of its most successful and revered drivers of all time.
