This was the initiation of motorsport for Michael Schumacher. He was inspired not only by an interest in racing but also by his father, Rolf Schumacher, a bricklayer with a penchant for karting. Michael began karting when he was only 4 by entering the local racing scene in Germany. Competing at small club events was the initiation for him. The first kart was a gift from his father and well before long, the talents of this little boy caught the attention of the karting community. His extraordinary ability to learn the nitty-gritty of the sport quickly set him aside, and at the age of twelve, he was already winning races and attracting attention from higher levels of the motorsport world.
In 1984, Schumacher, at that time 15 years old, introduces the most significant gearing into his career, entering the prestigious German Karting Championship. His credentials in the world of karting already speak for themselves, and by 1988, he was the German Karting champion. These achievements opened the door to car racing. In 1989, he began a close step towards single-seater racing by entering the Formula Ford 1600 series. This championship, which Schumacher won in just over one year, sealed his reputation as an up-and-coming star on the motorsport scene.
The big break that Schumacher was looking for in the realm of professional motorsport came in 1991, when he entered for testing under the Jordan Grand Prix Formula 1 team. After such an impressive test, his debut was given shortly after at the Belgian Grand Prix. Although his maiden outing saw him end in seventh place, that did not stop Schumacher from catching the attention of Benetton, with whom he would sign in 1992. His days with the Benetton team signified the first step toward his domination of Formula 1 which culminated with his win of the first World Championship in 1994 and saw him right to the top of brightest sport stars.