Schumacher prepares to mark 300th race at Spa

2012 Belgian Grand Prix

24th August 2012, 10:2019th October 2023, 17:21 | Written by Keith Collantine

Michael Schumacher will make his 300th F1 race appearance at next week’s Belgian Grand Prix.

Schumacher reaches the milestone at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit where he made his F1 debut 21 years ago.

“Spa is like my living room,” said Schumacher. “For me, it’s clearly the number one race track in the world.

“It’s uncanny how I always seem to have special moments there – my debut, my first win, a world championship victory and many great races.

“The fact that I will also take part in my 300th Grand Prix at Spa was somehow almost inevitable and we will have to celebrate it in the right way.”

Rubens Barrichello is the only other driver in F1 history to achieve 300 participations.

Schumacher added: “I’m proud to be just the second driver in the history of the sport to reach this milestone and there’s no question that we are looking to have a particularly nice weekend.

“We delivered a good performance in Spa last year; I’ll be doing everything possible to drive a strong race.”

Schumacher has won the Belgian Grand Prix six times, more than any other driver. He has appeared at 299 races so far and failed to start two of them: the 1996 French Grand Prix (engine failure on the formation lap) and the 1999 British Grand Prix (did not participate in restart).

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45 comments on “Schumacher prepares to mark 300th race at Spa”

alexf1man (@alexf1man)
24th August 2012, 10:23

Just as Rubens Barrichello made his 300th start in the 2010 Belgian Grand Prix.
1. Racer (@racer)
  24th August 2012, 10:41
  
  NOT start, entry. Barrichello had had 4 races which he entered but failed to start but chose to include 3 of them.
  1. Racer (@racer)
    24th August 2012, 10:44
    
    Actually the correct term for Barrichello is “300th qualification”, since he excluded Imola 1994 whjere he didn’t participate in qualifying but included 3 others where he qualified but didn’t start. SPa 2010 has his 301st entry and 297th start. Spa 2012 is more simple for Schumacher, 300th entry, 298th start.
2. Atticus (@atticus-2)
  24th August 2012, 10:42
  
  I hope Michael’s race will not end in the back of Fernando’s Ferrari at the end of lap 1… :D
  1. davidnotcoulthard
    24th August 2012, 13:03
    
    @atticus-2
    That would be a lot of fun!
3. Michael Brown (@)
  25th August 2012, 0:20
  
  Well at least Rubens Barrichello was the first to reach 300. Beating Schumacher for once.
Racer (@racer)
24th August 2012, 10:48

1991: Schumacher debuts in Spa.
1992: Schumacher takes 1st win in Spa.
1994: Schumacher disqualified from win in Spa.
1995: Schumacher wins from 16th in Spa.
1996: Schumacher wins in a dog of a Ferrari in Spa.
1997: Schumacher wins the first races to start behind the safety car by starting on inters in Spa.
1998: Schumacher crashes into the back of Coulthard in Spa.
2000: Schumacher falls victim to won of the greatest overtakes of all time in Spa.
2001: Schumacher breaks Prost’s record for the most career wins wis his 52nd at Spa.
2002: Schumacher breaks his/Mansell’s shared record for the most wins in a season with his 10th in Spa.
2004: Schumacher clinches his 7th world tyitle in Spa.

That’s quite a list!
1. Uncle Ben (@uncleben)
  24th August 2012, 11:03
  
  Very nice!
  
  Wouldn’t it be great if the list could be completed with:
  2012: Schumacher takes 1st win since his comeback.
  1. PieLighter (@pielighter)
    24th August 2012, 11:27
    
    In an ideal world, of course. I doubt it will happen though – the team from Brackley haven’t been consistently on the pace since early 2009, save for a few peaks here and there.
  2. davidnotcoulthard
    24th August 2012, 13:05
    
    No, I think Kimi will finish higher than Schumacher there.
    1. AndrewT (@andrewt)
      24th August 2012, 15:01
      
      Kimi, the “other” “King of Spa”, as the pitboard showed after his to date last win in Belgium, 2009. With a good strategy, a reliable Lotus, and with his devastating speed, he could even go for the win in Spa, which unfortunately Schumacher won’t be able to do.
      
      However, I would love to see Alonso win here, as all he has is 2 podium finishes in Spa from 2005 and 2007. I think a winner trophy from Spa is one of the most wanted that an exeptional driver would like to have.
      1. Jeanrien (@jeanrien)
        24th August 2012, 20:51
        
        So Lewis will wait next year as he can’t keep his trophies for the moment ^^
        Even if I’m not really fan of Schum (but not dislike him like it has been in the past), you have to want him something good at Spa … He loves the place (and rightly so) and deserves a bit beter this season.
        
        For the podium would be nice to have Schum, Lewis and Kimi (in any order), probaly the 3 more consistant @ Spa lately …
    2. Rises
      24th August 2012, 17:49
      
      much i hope Schumacher to win there in his 300th race but compare to The Lotus the Merc certainly not better than it and win seem to be out of reach unless Mercedes during the break found extra performance but…nevertheless never count out the spa specialist(Schumacher) to give another stunning performance.
2. Stretch (@stretch)
  24th August 2012, 11:28
  
  2000: Schumacher falls victim to won of the greatest overtakes of all time in Spa.
  
  Looked it up and wow, that’s how you use a backmarker!
  
  http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1335885228459513261
  1. ScuderiaVincero (@scuderiavincero)
    24th August 2012, 13:40
    
    @stretch I loved that overtake! Not sure if Michael did.
  2. GeordiePorker (@geordieporker)
    24th August 2012, 21:31
    
    Ricardo Zonta probably had to pit for fresh overalls after that! Epic move!
3. xeroxpt (@)
  24th August 2012, 16:35
  
  2012: Kimi wins Schumi 2nd again.
4. Rises
  24th August 2012, 17:36
  
  Nice one.
  I hope it’s going to be a great weekend for Schumi to celebrate the 300th, win or a podium will be awesome from the Spa specialist. it was fantastic to see a standing aviation from a large crowds when he clinched extraordinary “pole position” in Monaco, just pure class.
  1. gwenouille (@gwenouille)
    24th August 2012, 21:08
    
    I think you mean “ovation”
    1. Rises
      25th August 2012, 4:27
      
      :D Thanks for the correction, jet fly past to celebrate would be cool orrrr too much…
andae23 (@andae23)
24th August 2012, 11:10

If Schumacher stays for the 2013 season, then he will break Barrichello’s record of 326 involvements. That’s quite sad actually: the only record Barrichello has ever had, and Schumacher comes and spoils it :(
1. Fixy (@)
  24th August 2012, 12:14
  
  I always thought that it would only be right for the most successful driver ever to start the most races (or have the most appearances), but I’d be sad for Rubens. The record he holds shows how good he actually was, and if the driver he played number-two to for six years stole that record, it would be quite a coincidence.
2. wificats (@wificats)
  24th August 2012, 12:57
  
  It seems appropriate really, Schumacher made a bit of a habit of spoiling Barrichello’s career.
  1. icemangrins (@icemangrins)
    24th August 2012, 13:14
    
    @wificats lol. It will only be a coincidence. Can the same be told for every single of Rubens’s team mate except Pastor in the William days? Clearly, they were all better than him on most occasions.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
24th August 2012, 11:34

Actually, I think this is only Schumacher’s 299th start. It’s his 300th entry, but he never started the 1996 French Grand Prix – his engine failed on the parade lap.
1. andae23 (@andae23)
  24th August 2012, 11:41
  
  That’s correct: the article correctly states that this will be his 300th race appearance.
  1. Mike (@mike)
    24th August 2012, 15:27
    
    Well played :D
  2. Enigma (@enigma)
    24th August 2012, 19:49
    
    And the article explains exactly what PM has.
2. Younger Hamii (@younger-hamii)
  24th August 2012, 19:49
  
  What a way to ruin the article.
AndrewT (@andrewt)
24th August 2012, 12:08

It would be correct to call it as 300th Grand Prix, which kinda solves problems, as a Grand Prix involves the race and the qualification as well, in my view. You might not have started the race, but if you have qualified for it, you have participated the Grand Prix (practically a DNS).

By the way, 300? This is madness! No, this is Spa…!
1. andrewf1 (@andrewf1)
  24th August 2012, 12:33
  
  Agreed and very nice play of words at the end! +1
icemangrins (@icemangrins)
24th August 2012, 13:29

Given the lack of W03’s race pace, this would be the ideal strategy for a dry race

1. Save the option tyres…
2. Get yourself in P16 or P18
3. Start the race in prime
4. Clear the debris and the pile up in turn 1
5. Use the option tyres for the second and the third stint
6. Most importantly, talk to your engineers about how important the car needs to finish.
1. elf341
  24th August 2012, 15:38
  
  Indeed, I echo point 6.
  The most important thing for Michael here is for Ross Brawn to allocate an extra engineer to Michael’s car to check no of his mechanics screw up again. MSC had to retire in Hungary because his telemetry ceased working of all things!
  1. JimmyTheIllustratedBlindSolidSilverBeachStackapopolis III
    24th August 2012, 16:56
    
    He went out in qualy last year when they didn’t fit a flipping tyre correctly!!! what a way to celebrate 20 years of f1 that was, so lets have no mistakes this time please mercedes.
    1. Michael Brown (@)
      25th August 2012, 0:23
      
      That was so strange because he took Eau Rouge and Les Combes before it came off when he got out of Malmedy.
2. Enigma (@enigma)
  24th August 2012, 19:51
  
  @icemangrins Worked well enough for him last year!
  1. icemangrins (@icemangrins)
    24th August 2012, 20:24
    
    @enigma except the last overtake left his team mate fuming ….neverthless, expecting to watch a F1 race after a dry spell … 30 days gap is cruel
    1. Malibu_GP
      25th August 2012, 15:37
      
      Indeed…, thirty days is insufferable
Malibu_GP
25th August 2012, 15:34

Love him or hate him, You can’t deny his impact on the sport. I personally am a huge fan. I certainly hope this year’s outing in Belgium is a fruitful one for M.S. He really deserves some good luck after some of the incidents he has suffered since his return. For Me, there is something special about the greatest sportsmen ever completing milestones. There are a couple great Michaels here in the States many of You have likely heard of. Im a fan of theirs too.
1. David-A (@david-a)
  25th August 2012, 19:48
  
  +1
  
  There are a couple great Michaels here in the States many of You have likely heard of. Im a fan of theirs too.
  
  Jackson, Jordan, Johnson :)
  1. David-A (@david-a)
    25th August 2012, 19:48
    
    And Phelps
    1. Malibu_GP
      29th August 2012, 2:40
      
      @David-a…, definitely can’t forget Phelps! ;)
2. Michael Brown (@)
  25th August 2012, 21:08
  
  Vettel grew up idolizing what he called the 3 Michaels. Michael Jackson, Jordan and Schumacher. He was going to be a singer but for some reason went to racing instead.
  1. SouthPawRacer (@southpawracer)
    27th August 2012, 7:14
    
    I wonder how that would have turned out…
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
27th August 2012, 13:43

Well, I hope his 300th appearance goes better that Barrichello’s did, that was a disaster for him!

Something tells me that Mercedes will ruin it for him…

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2012 Belgian Grand Prix

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45 comments on “Schumacher prepares to mark 300th race at Spa”