Racing and Relaxing with Ralf Schumacher
Ralf Schumacher was born into racing and the Panasonic Toyota
Racing driver retains his youthful love of speed, even in
his 10th year of Formula 1.
Ralf was born in Hürth and grew up in nearby Kerpen,
just a few miles from Panasonic Toyota Racing’s factory
in Cologne, Germany, and soon enough he was joining what was
rapidly becoming the family profession. The Schumacher family
was very much focused on motorsport very early in Ralf’s
life – and he quickly developed a passion for speed.
“Motorsport has always been a part of my life even
before I could even think consciously because I first drove
a go-kart at two and half,” the 32-year-old says.
Ralf’s talent was quickly obvious, especially when
he took his first step into car racing – and stood on
the podium in just his first race.
“I started with karts at two and half, then the first
club championships when I was four or five,” he reveals.
“Then I simply moved up, joining Formula Junior one
day because someone was ill and couldn’t race. I stepped
in and finished second – in my first race! I got a lot
of support then and on it went.”
That was just the beginning of Ralf’s road to the top
but, unlike almost all Formula 1 drivers, he was not the only
member of his family forging a career at the peak of his sport.
Not only was Ralf challenging to join one of the most exclusive
sporting elites on earth, he was aiming to make history by
competing against his own brother at that level.
Formula 1 seemed like an almost unreachable dream to young
Ralf, as he admits: “It certainly hadn’t crossed
my mind as an 18 or 19 year old. No-one would have thought
it possible then. It was also a bit tougher for me because
I was the younger one. Nobody could imagine two brothers getting
into Formula 1 – that wasn’t expected but in the
end it all worked out.”
Ralf did, of course, make it to Formula 1 and the rest is
history. With six Grand Prix wins he has his own place in
Formula 1’s roll of honour and is still challenging
to create more happy memories in his third season with Panasonic
Toyota Racing.
But there is more to Ralf’s life than driving the fastest
racing cars on earth. With a five-year-old son, David, and
his wife Cora, Ralf has a happy home life – when he
has the chance to take a break from his hectic Formula 1 schedule.
For everyone in Formula 1, leisure time is precious but Ralf
makes the most of his time, enjoying skiing on the slopes
near his Austrian home, as well as golf and, naturally, spending
time with his family, who are supportive of his demanding
job at the top of his sport.
“It is certainly the case that I love doing my job,
I love what I do in motorsport. But relaxation is also part
and parcel of the job,” he says.
“Sometimes of course it’s tough but the good
thing is my son knows it no other way than for me to be away
a lot. He has grown up with it. While he is not happy when
I go, he knows that’s simply the way it is. He also
takes an interest in motorsport so it’s not a problem.
“Clearly it’s not always that easy for my wife
either. I intend to be doing this job for a while longer but
of course I won’t be doing this for 50 years so that’s
not really a problem either.“
As well as his role racing and testing the TF107, when Ralf
is on duty he is also kept busy away from the track, whether
that is catching up with his fans and the media or bringing
added attention to Panasonic Toyota Racing and its official
partners with personal appearances in a whole range of different
locations.
But Ralf also finds time for good causes and helps charities
when he can, such as his trip to India in March when he visited
the children of leprosy sufferers, giving support to Stella
Deetjen’s valuable work to care for and educate them
in the city of Varanasi.
In amongst this hectic lifestyle, he naturally devotes a
substantial part of his time to training, ensuring he is in
perfect physical shape for one of the most demanding sports.
But it is racing that is in Ralf’s blood and, with
Panasonic Toyota Racing, he has found a team who share his
ambitions.
“This team is simply, in short, really a team, one
of the very few - a true team where a great emphasis is put
on team spirit and cooperation,” he adds. “It
is also great fun to work here.
“The team has a big company behind it which places
a great emphasis not only on short-term but long-term success.
They take a very healthy long-term approach to the car’s
development.”
This weekend at the Nürburgring, he is back on home
ground. He was born only a short distance away from the legendary
circuit and even competed in that first Formula Junior race
there as a youngster. To add to the homely feel, he will have
extra support on his side throughout the weekend as the local
driver in the local team, with Panasonic Toyota Racing’s
factory just an hour away.
“The European Grand Prix is the team’s home grand
prix and that will make it a special race weekend for me and
the whole team,” he says. “Jarno and I will be
sure to enjoy a tremendous amount of support, which is always
greatly appreciated.
“There is a great team spirit at Toyota and it will
be great to see some of the guys from the factory coming to
the race as fans this weekend. Whatever we do on the race
track is only possible as a result of the great efforts from
everyone back at the factory.”
He may be able to relax with his family away from the track
and appreciate the camaraderie of Panasonic Toyota Racing
but, once the visor goes down, Ralf is the same passionate
racer who started the long road to racing success with his
first kart drive almost 30 years ago.
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