Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher was born on 3 January 1969 in Hürth, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany, Schumacher won his first club karting championship at the age of six. In 1989, Schumacher made his Macau Grand Prix debut at the end of that season, Schumacher qualified on the third row for the first of the two legs of the Grand Prix in his Reynard 893, which in those days was decided on the aggregate results of the two. He made his way up to second position on lap two and taking the lead. On pole for the second leg, Schumacher took the lead through Lisboa Bend until on lap three, suffering a problem with his car dropped back to third, with five laps remaining his gears gone and he retired. 

The 37th Macau Grand Prix in 1990 was one of the most memorable in Macao history. At the first leg of the race with Schumacher trailing home several seconds behind Finnish driver Mika Häkkinen; on pole for the second leg, Häkkinen got away but on the run down to Lisboa Bend, Schumacher slip-streamed past and took the lead. Coming out of the last corner and entering his final lap, Häkkinen saw his opportunity and decided to slingshot past on the run down to Lisboa Bend, Schumacher blocked him and the pair made contact. Schumacher’s rear wing was broken, Häkkinen spun and struck the barrier, leaving him unable to continue. Although slowed by the damage, Schumacher was able to continue, and took the chequered flag to win.

In 1990, the Reynard 903 has won various titles in all major Formula 3 Championship across Europe. After six months of work in the Southampton University wind tunnel to get the best possible aerodynamics, the car boasted a carbon fibre, aluminium honeycomb and Kevlar construction, and had a stepped underside and more aerodynamic changes over the previous year’s car. A new floor, rear wing assembly and diffuser were coupled with the front suspension being mounted on a cast magnesium bulkhead that used double sheer alloy plates to make the whole car stiffer, more stable and therefore faster.