Michael Schumacher is Ferrari’s most successful driver in Formula 1 history – and Lewis Hamilton will be eager to replicate his success with the team.
Joining Ferrari in 1996 – after winning two consecutive titles with Benetton in 1994-95 – Schumacher went on to win 71 times with the Maranello outfit and grabbed five titles in a row from 2000-2004.
The German left Ferrari in 2006 after retiring from F1, before returning in 2010 with Mercedes where he spent three seasons before ending his career for good in 2012. In 2025, the sport’s second seven-time champion will have a reverse career path as he leaves Brackley for Maranello.
Hamilton joins Ferrari after becoming the winningest F1 driver of all time with Mercedes over his incredible 12 years with Mercedes. The Brit will be looking to beat Schumacher’s record with an eighth title at Ferrari, but brother Ralf Schumacher says Hamilton can’t develop a Ferrari like Michael can as he casts doubt over how successful the 39-year-old will be.
Hamilton got the chance to race against Schumacher during the latter’s time with Mercedes from 2010-2012, but before the former made his debut in 2007, his old teammate competed with and beat the German on his way to F1.
Heikki Kovalainen put himself ‘on the map’ by beating Michael Schumacher in the 2004 Race of Champions
Held at the start or end of each year, the Race of Champions is a showcase event that pits some of the world’s best racing and rally drivers against each other in equal machinery.
Fresh off of winning his seventh title, Schumacher represented Germany in the 2004 event, while a then relatively unknown Heikki Kovalainen competed for Finland – and it was the latter who surprised everyone to win the event.
Driving a Ferrari 360 Modena, the Finn beat F1 drivers David Coulthard and Jean Alesi on his way to beating Schumacher in the final. Speaking with Peter Windsor, Kovalainen recalled how the event put him ‘on the map’ as he would later start his F1 career with Renault in 2007.
“I mean it was so unexpected but it was a great moment. It’s probably one of the single moments throughout my career [that] stands out, probably the only time that I could imagine how a rockstar feels.
“When you beat someone like Michael in a Ferrari and people don’t know who you are and then when I jumped on the roof of that car, I was like cheering and nobody knows ‘who is this guy?’
“They all were probably a bit surprised like ‘who is this guy?’ But in a way, even if it was kind of like a show event, like you said everybody is probably still going flat out and trying their best.
“It kind of put me on the map. Even the guys at Renault, Pat Symonds for example, he said that was impressive and it did good for my career in terms of image.”
How did Heikki Kovalainen fare in Formula 1?
In his rookie season with Renault in 2007, Kovalainen finished level on points with experienced teammate Giancarlo Fisichella. Consistently showing great pace as he scored regular points, the Finn grabbed his first podium at Fuji with second.
In 2008, he swapped places with Fernando Alonso and linked up with Hamilton at McLaren. Kovalainen grabbed his only win in F1 at the Hungarian Grand Prix that season, but he struggled to make an impact in his two seasons with the Woking-based outfit.
The Finn joined backmarkers Lotus in 2010 and spent three years with the team as they became Caterham in 2012. While he often got out of Q1, he failed to score a point in the team’s underperforming machinery.
Kovalainen was relegated to test driver for 2013 at Caterham, but he would make his return to Enstone for the final two races of the season with, rather confusingly, Lotus (formerly Renault). After failing to score points, the Finn was not offered a contract for 2014 and went on to enjoy great success in Super GT and rallying.
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