"Charitable Schumacher" in 09-18-06 Autoweek

With all these recent negative threads abut Schumacher, I feel that we need to separate the man on the race track and the man himself. According to Autoweek, which is quoting from Business F1, MS has given away $50 million over the last 4 years discreetly. In the German public records, which revealed that MS had quietly funded hospitals in Bosnia, orphanages in Peru and schools in Senegal. He also paid out $5.6 million in his role as a UNESCO goodwill ambassador and is still to date, the biggest private donor to the Asian tsunami relief fund, of $10 million.

IMO, he is no more of a bastard on track than any other successful driver in the modern day F1. Due to the lack of other superstar drivers of his equal status, he has been under the microscope contantly, especially since he drivers for the legendary Ferrari team. Senna was just as ruthless, and I am sure so were the other drivers, such as Prost, Piquet, Mansell or even Lauda back in their racing days, it is just that we don't hear about them. They all fought with each other on and off the tracks, as it takes more than one coin to make a sound. MS is a competitor on track, if he isn't, he has no business driving a F1 car. Anyway, MS will be leaving F1 after the season, which is a sad day for F1, depsite what JV or any other current (FA) or ex-F1 driver (Fontana) says. Can anyone of them say that they have done as much for F1 on track and for the world off track? I could very well be wrong about this, but I think the answer is no.

Bravo to Mr. Schumacher, and if you do lurk here, I will like to take this opportunity to thank you as a Tifosi and a F1 fan, and also as a fellow human being for what you had done.

 

I read that issue of AW today, and I have to agree, he is quite the humanitarian. Bravo, MS!

 

good for him. i dun give a **** what sore losers like JV and some Fontana guy has to say. Schumi will always be Schumi, and he can't be replaced!

 

I can't wait for my weekly Autosport issue to arrive as it has MS on the cover and it says "Goodbye Michael". Definitely a keeper issue. He's without a doubt a fantastic person for the way he's helped others. So is Corina and what she's done for the horses who can't speak for themselves.

BRAVO to both Schumachers for their impact on the lives of humans and equines.

Carol

 

Thank you for your work on and off the track Michael!
You will always be the greatest F1 racer ever!
You will always be the absolute king of motorsport!

 

If you have been truly following F1 for all of these years, you already knew these things about Michael Schumacher. The negative comments some have posted here are pretty much irrelevant to reality. He has been the best the sport has offered to date.

 

I knew about the Tsunami relief fund, but I was unaware of the others. I have been a dedicated F1 fan since the late 80's, but I do not sit there trying to memorize what each driver's favorite color is or what they like to have for breakfast on race day. Anyway, it really doesn't matter how big of a fan I am or anyone else is, I created this thread simply just to point out that Schumacher is more than just a multi-time WDC but also a very generous, decent human being.

 

Bravo Michael for his generosity! Say what you will about his tactics on the track, but the money he has donated without asking for noteriety is impressive. Both Michael and Senna both gave back alot to the world of the underpriveldged and for that they should be commended.

 

My comment was not intended for you, your post was appreciated. There are so many Schumacher detractors that try to minimize his many accomplishments. I have not seen the article, but did it mention his wife's helping homeless animals?

I wonder how many other professional atheletes donate $$ proportionately as much as Schumacher, but only lend their names to charity while limiting their monetary contributions. I would think Michael tops the list of $$ contributors.

 

His being the largest single donor to the Asian tsunami relief effort is pretty impressive.

 

It's too bad that being famous today means that every blessed detail of one's life is open to public scrutiny. It's nice to hear the good things that Schumacher has done, but I feel bad for him that what he has attempted to keep private is not respected by the press and the public.

Two words: Stirling Moss

Even in his vintage racing today, that man holds nothing back and won't lift even if it means drilling a competitor in the driver's door or wrecking a nearly priceless piece of history.

I don't condone every move that Schumacher has ever made on track, but I find it mind boggling how many supposed race fans have been questioning the man's talent lately.

C.

 

Amen, it takes a lot of humility to not use all this financial giving as a stump to say "look at me, how great I am!" Bravo! a true hero!!!

I have only met him once and it was for about 1 second... but I have talked with folks who have met him outside F-1, and they have all said that he is a very humble guy, very shy, and an extreemly nice man. - good for him! the world needs more heros like him to look up to!

 

lets not forget Senna admitted to purposely taking out Prost in 1990 at susuka lap 1 in retaliation for the 1989 accident between the two on the same track. I have been watching F1 for 20 years and back in the mid 90's Senna used to cut accross the track to block people often. Great drivers have winning in their blood and they will do anything to keep ahead of the next guy. Though difficult to understand, these guys make decisions quicker than you can blink. In hind sight they were probably not the best moves but when you are talking about a Senna and a Schumacher, champions who were always winning for many years, they will have numerous indiscretions. But in no way should this detract from their greatness. No one says Senna was the most unsporting driver even though in 1988 he drove Prost across the track at in Estoril and almost made him hit the wall! I never liked Senna (more of a Prost fan) but you could never say he wasn't one of the most talented drivers ever. Michael in my opinion, is undeniably one of the most gifted drivers of all time. No one has been competitive for such a long period of time at the level Michael has. To say there were no other great drivers to compete against him during his time period is crazy. I think he just never allowed anyone to become great because he overshadowed everyone hands down. I for one will miss watching him drive. No one could drive on the limit for 80 laps straight like he could. Anytime anyone debates his greatness, I point them to the hungaroring victory when Ross Brawn said to him we are going to do a 3 lap strategy to try an pull out a win so drive quilifying laps for the rest of the race and you'll win. Good luck getting anyone else to do that. Kimi will have large shoes to fill. F1 will have a large hole to fill.

 

Finally got to read this issue of Autoweek and was about to post this myself.

What a great human being !

Nuff said.

 

Not everybody thought that was such a great thing he did there:

http://sirstick.blogspot.com/2005_01_01_sirstick_archive.html

Scroll to "Muenti vs Schumi". It says basically (and I remember this from when it was actually in the news over a year ago) the leader of the Socialist Democratic party in Germany (they have more than 2 parties, but this is one of the bigger and important ones) Muentefering accused Schumacher of enhancing his own reputation and ego by giving away money that he avoided to pay as taxes to the German government by moving from Germany to Switzerland.