But Ralf is not just “Michael’s brother” – he has not only had his own success on the track, but became a mentor to racing drivers and a successful “racing dad”.

Meet the Schumacher you may have forgotten about in the shadow of his iconic brother.

Ralf Schumacher’s racing success

Ralf’s F1 career spanned 11 years: he drove for Jordan, Williams and Toyota, and won six grand prix races. In an interview with Beyond the Grid in 2019, Ralf, 48, said post-retirement, he focused on being a team principal in motorsport, a role that saw him take on mentoring responsibilities with young talents.

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According to PlanetF1, it was a test with the Force India team in 2008 that made him question his future in F1.

He’s paid tribute to his brother, Michael Schumacher

Reflecting on his relationship with his brother, Ralf said in a 2023 interview that Michael, 55, was “not only my brother, but when he was younger, he was also my coach and mentor”.

Per Sports Illustrated, Ralf said that even though the brothers are only seven years apart, it was Michael who taught him “everything about karting”. Ralf added that their parents bought a house next to a karting track growing up. They were also so poor, he and his brother shared a room and slept on a mattress on the floor.

Commenting on his brother’s success, Ralf said it was incredible to see how much his brother achieved given their circumstances growing up.

In F1 circles, it is often asked whether Ralf lives in his brother’s shadow. In an interview on Beyond the Grid, Ralf said the question should rather be, “Would I have made it to Formula One if Michael had not been there?”

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He’s a “racing dad”

“David takes a big part of my life now,” Ralf told Beyond the Grid. His son has seen success in the karting scene and proud dad Ralf admits that while he can be “quite hard with what I expect” and he was nervous at the first race, their shared interest in motorsport has strengthened their relationship. David, 22, switched from F3 to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters in 2022.

Once speaking about his relationship with his dad, David said he never knew his dad was famous, because he didn’t go to F1 races growing up, reports Speed Week. “I don’t see him as a famous person, I see him as my father,” David said, per the publication.

Ralf has described his son as “calm” and “focused” as a person, adding that “he is nicer than I am, than I ever was, I have to say”.

Ralf’s millions

Ralf has an estimated net worth of US$100 million, per Celebrity Net Worth, with a bitter divorce in 2015 with his ex-wife Cora reportedly impacting his bank balance. Per Motorsport, the couple fought over Ralf’s fortune as well as homes in Germany, Austria and France. There was also a custody battle over their son David, who was 13 at the time. Cora reportedly walked away with a multimillion settlement.

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After his retirement from racing, Ralf went on to become a commentator for Sky Sports Germany as well as a winemaker. Per his its website, Schumacher Wines was founded after Ralf was looking for some wine for his restaurant, Schumachers. He discovered Klet Brda Winery and was impressed by the selection the winery offered.

The Schumacher Selection has a variety of options including Chardonnays, pinot noirs and sparkling rosé Charmats.