(Motorsport news) Passion. Desire. Winner. Perfectionist. Relentless. Daring. These are just a few words that describe Michael Schumacher, the seven time Formula 1 World Champion and one of the greatest drivers to have ever lived. For motorsport enthusiasts in the 90’s and 2000’s, Michael Schumacher was the ultimate driver. A perfect combination of talent and the desire to exploit that potential to every last drop to get the desired result. A private and happy go lucky individual in his personal life, Michael Schumacher was a fierce competitor on the race track that earned him many fans and enemies over the years.

Schumacher’s documentary released on Netflix on 15th September 2021 and gave us a sneak peek into his journey, career, accomplishments, family life and the various obstacles the German has overcome to become the legendary racing driver we all know today. In an era of Formula 1 where drivers are assured a position on the grid by how rich their fathers are and which teams they own, Schumacher’s journey to the highest level of motorsport racing is very relatable to the average joe.

The path towards a professional racing drivers career is notoriously expensive and the documentary perfectly sums up his early years of struggle, where his family could not afford to get him new sets of tyres for his battered old go-kart for races. Schumacher made his way through sheer desire and talent, often rummaging through used tyres and go-kart equipment that were discarded and winning races with them. The German grew accustomed to this handicap, navigated through it with skill and precision and steadily climbed the ladder to his dream.

Along with talent and hard work, every career needs a bit of luck and if there is any driver that deserved such a break, it was Michael Schumacher. The German got a lucky break with the Jordan-Ford team in 1991 as a replacement for the imprisoned Bertrand Gachot. The German was an instant success, finishing seventh in qualifying, the team’s season-best grid position and was described as “the best talent since Stefan Bellof” by the German media.

As Schumacher’s reputation on the grid grew, his rivals began to take notice of the newcomer on the block. As time went on, Michael Schumacher had his first nemesis who was none other than Ayrton Senna. The two were more similar than they would’ve liked to admit, both were extremely focused and ruthless, with a win at all costs mentality. It was a rivalry that can be described as the older king of the jungle against a younger lion, eager to take away his throne. Unfortunately, the rivalry is often viewed with sadness rather than a positive conclusion, as Senna tragically lost his life at the age of 34, succumbing to fatal injuries sustained due to a crash at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994.

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The documentary captures Michael Schumacher’s emotions in the aftermath of Senna’s crash brilliantly, his grief, paranoia about racing and the mixed emotions of winning his first World Championship by default. As Formula 1’s best racing driver, Schumacher soon became the hottest property, with established teams like McLaren and Ferrari interested in his signature. In 1996, Schumacher signed for the oldest and most successful team in Formula 1 history, Ferrari. The documentary does a brilliant job in showing his struggles in the initial years, his hands-on involvement in salvaging a virtually unfixable car with fundamental flaws and how the German, along with Brawn, Byrne, and Jean Todt transformed a sleeping giant into the most successful team in Formula 1 history.

The documentary also shows Schumacher’s complicated relationship with his new nemesis Mika Häkkinen, one full of mutual respect and admiration mixed with tense moments of rivalry, controversy and heated discussions on the track. It wonderfully portrays a never seen before side of Michael Schumacher, the private family man who enjoyed skiing and skydiving. The documentary wraps up with Corinna Schumacher in tears, as she speaks about Michael’s horrific skiing accident. For a racing driver that always had his guardian angels on his side, one can only hope that Schumacher makes a full recovery and lives a long and happy life.

Verdict

Must watch. Especially if you’re a motorsports fan. If you’re not, you should watch it anyway.