Michael Schumacher was awarded the state prize of North-Rhine-Westphalia for his impeccable performances in motorsports.
In Formula 1, Michael Schumacher is deemed as the greatest of all time by a considerable section. His seven-world titles with Ferrari and Benetton, which he achieved by winning 91 races brought him to the zenith of motorsports.
The German race driver is also considered to be responsible for the dominance of Ferrari and Mercedes in their respective eras. Not only of his driving but also because of his involvement in the engineering side.
Now, almost a decade after his retirement, Schumacher has been awarded the state prize of North-Rhine-Westphalia. The ceremony happened on Monday and was organized by Motorsport Cologne.
“Michael Schumacher’s work as an athlete and as a supporter of a good cause radiates far beyond the borders of his homeland of North Rhine-Westphalia,” said NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst.
Despite, Schumacher being away from the public eye since 2013, due to a skiing accident, he “never lost his feet on the ground and always kept an eye on his fellow human beings,” explained Wüst.
The laudation was held by Jean Todt, ex-boss of Schumacher at Ferrari. Meanwhile, his wife Corrina Schumacher and children Gina and Mick Schumacher accepted the award.
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Michael Schumacher still loved by fans
Schumacher is undoubtedly the most loved F1 driver in history, as his excellence literally brought F1 to the world map. Schumacher for a long time has been the synonym for race driving.
Even if people don’t know what F1 is, they definitely know who Schumacher is. That’s the level of stature the seven-time world champion earned across his career.
In 2021, Netflix released a documentary on the former F1 driver. In response, fans were overwhelmed by the unseen footage of Schumacher from his career days.
It showed how much of a family person he was, and how he was affected by the key moments in his career. Schumacher’s records have surely been broken by Lewis Hamilton, but there could be never another like him.
