Ralf Schumacher hails brother Michael as his 'idol' 20 years on from seven-time champion's final F1 win in Shanghai
On this day in 2006, Michael Schumacher took the chequered flag at a cloudy, wet Shanghai International Circuit, punching the air in delight as he drew level with his title rival Fernando Alonso in the championship standings. Nobody knew it at the time — but it would go down as the 91st and final win of the German legend's extraordinary Formula 1 career.
The last victory
Twenty years on, that afternoon in China stands as the final chapter of Schumacher's winning story. On a tricky, rain-affected track in Shanghai, the seven-time world champion mastered the conditions to cross the line a few seconds ahead of Alonso — the man he was battling for the title that season — and celebrate with a fist-punch of delight as he drew level with his rival atop the championship standings.
At the time, it looked like another statement of intent from a driver who had made a career of defying the odds. Instead, it proved to be the closing act: Schumacher would never stand on the top step of a podium again.
A career of staggering numbers
The Shanghai triumph was win number 91 of a career that redefined what was possible in Formula 1. Across just over 300 Grands Prix, Schumacher amassed a whopping 68 pole positions, 155 podium finishes and more than 1,500 points — a haul built on relentless speed, ruthless consistency and an unmatched will to win that carried him to seven world championships.
"My idol": Ralf's tribute to his brother
Marking two decades since that last win, Michael's younger brother Ralf Schumacher — himself a former Formula 1 driver — has reflected on the sibling he describes not just as family, but as his idol, underlining the scale of the admiration the seven-time champion commanded even from those who knew him best.
For fans around the world, the anniversary is a moment to look back on a driver whose records shaped an era of the sport — and whose 91st victory, secured on a wet Shanghai afternoon against his greatest rival of the era, remains one of the most poignant images in Formula 1 history.