Ranked: Schumacher's five greatest F1 wins

January 3rd, 2025 marks Michael Schumacher's 56th birthday, and with that in mind, RacingNews365 has drawn together a list of what we consider to be five of his greatest victories. 

We've also had a go at ranking them, but be sure to let us know what you think in the comments if we got the ranking right, or indeed, if we missed any famous wins off!

5 - 2003 San Marino GP

This was not a particularly spell-binding win for Schumacher, but rather, he raced at Imola hours after his mother Elisabeth had passed away on the Saturday evening. 

Michael and Ralf started on the front-row and diced for the lead until Ralf's Michelin tyres started to grain. 

Michael was shifted onto a three-stop by Ferrari to cover off Kimi Raikkonen, eventually taking an emotional win 1.8s clear.

Ralf finished fourth with Rubens Barrichello third as the brothers Schumacher quickly departed home after the podium, with the FIA permitting the winner to skip the media commitments.

4 - 1998 Hungarian GP

The iconic race where Schumacher had to pull 20 qualifying laps one after another. 

Ferrari realised that he was stuck behind Jacques Villeneuve's Williams and not going anywhere in a hurry, so switched him to a three-stop. 

This meant 19s of race time where required in 25 laps to defeat David Coulthard's McLaren. 

Despite a brief off, Schumacher emerged from his final stop five seconds clear, going onto score a famous victory and demoralise McLaren as the title race with Mika Hakkinen headed to Belgium.

3 - 1996 Spanish GP

All of the greats have a famous wet weather win on their CV, and for Schumacher, it is the first of his 72 victories for Ferrari. 

In horrendous conditions in Barcelona, in the troubled first V10 Ferrari, he actually fluffed the start, almost stalling but by lap 12, earned a lead he would never lose, pulling out nearly 4s a lap at times.

He would win by 45.3s in a show of domination that still makes it one of the greatest drives in the history of the world championship. 

Who could have guessed what would follow over the next decade with 71 wins and five world titles?

2 - 1995 Belgian GP

Schumacher and Spa went together perhaps as well as any driver and circuit in the history of F1. 

He made his debut there, won his first race there in 1992, and clinched his seventh title in 2004, but his 1995 win stands out.

From 16th on the grid, he rose through the field to be fighting Damon Hill for the lead by lap 15, and remarkably stayed out on slick tyres as the rain fell. 

He did cross a line with the infamous 'Schumacher chop' on the Williams, earning himself a suspended race ban, but the tactic worked as Hill was forced to pit again for a change back to slicks as the track dried.

A Hill speeding penalty in the pit-lane eventually snuffed out the contest, but Schumacher was unbeatable on the day.

1 - 2000 Japanese GP

The day his dreams came true.

After a white-hot battle with Hakkinen over three years, the 2000 Japanese GP was where it all came together for Schumacher and Ferrari. 

He had taken pole by just 0.009s from his Finnish rival, as Hakkinen cleared off at the start, but by lap 25, it began to drizzle, just as McLaren stopped him for fresh tyres.

Schumacher and Ferrari held their nerve to stay out on the warmer tyres for a few laps more, banging in fast laps to emerge ahead after his final stop. 

Game, set, match, championship, Michael Schumacher.