The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

Matt Bishop     (MBi)

1. 1996 Spanish GP; 2. 1998 Hungarian GP; 3. 1999 Malaysian GP

I've chosen Barcelona 1996 because the margin of his superiority over everyone else, in such treacherous conditions, simply beggared belief. To use an often-overworked adjective, it was an awesome performance.

Hungary 1998 was special for the way he obediently followed Ross Brawn's radio demands re lap times to the letter (or, more accurately, to the number) to win a race that at one point looked well out of his reach.

And, last but only just least of the three, I've included Malaysia 1999, his first event after a long-ish lay-off while his broken leg was healing, because it remains the iconic Grand Prix masterclass of number-two driving, handing teammate Eddie Irvine a win that he not only didn't deserve but didn't even understand how he'd 'won'!

1. 2006 Monaco GP; 2. 1994 Australian GP; 3. 2004 Chinese GP

Nothing in recent F1 history has been as shocking, or as brazen, as the professional foul that Michael committed at Rascasse earlier this year. Indeed, thinking about it still makes me angry. So does writing about it, so that will have to do.

Adelaide 1994 was another disgrace, of course, and one that he should never have been allowed to get away with. How Damon Hill kept his cool, post-race, I will never know.

Shanghai 2004? Well, I thought it would be boring if I selected the obvious bronze-medal Schumi horror story - Jerez 1997 - so I plumped instead for a rare event: Michael didn't do any wicked things in the first ever Chinese GP, just a whole lot of incompetent ones.

Damien Smith     (DS)

1. 2000 Japanese GP; 2. 1998 Hungarian GP; 3. 1994 Spanish GP

Schumacher was under intense pressure at Suzuka in 2000. He was heading for a title showdown with Mika Hakkinen to break Ferrari's 21-year barren spell of drivers' world championships. The McLaren and Ferrari were evenly matched, as were the drivers - and this would be a classic battle. That it was decided in the pits is symptomatic of modern F1. But it was still thrilling.

Schuey chased Hakkinen from the start and failed to jump him at the first stops. It would all come down to the second stops. Hakkinen pitted first, and Schuey had three laps to make the difference - as the drizzle that had fallen steadily increased. The stop was perfect and Michael just emerged ahead of Mika. A classic modern battle - with the added twist of what this one meant. He'd shown weaknesses in this situation before, in 1994 and 1998, but this time he delivered for arguably the most important win of his career.

1. 1994 Australian GP; 2. 1997 European GP; 3. 2004 Chinese GP

Was Adelaide really his worst race? After all, he did lead and had pulled a gap on Damon Hill, who had pushed him hard during the early stages. In my book, yes. The mistake, when he ran off the road and clouted a wall, showed a weakness under pressure that would raise its head again over the years.

It was surprising and it should have cost him the championship. But the instinctive and crude chop on Hill that broke the Williams' suspension was for many the defining moment of his career. Forever after, Schumacher was a cheat, a man with no moral or ethical substance. He let himself down so badly that day, and for me it will always be worse than what occurred at Jerez three years later.

Jonathan Noble     (JN)

1. 2006 San Marino GP; 2. 1998 Hungarian GP; 3. 1996 Spanish GP

Not the most obvious of choice as best, but one that once again proved Schumacher's sublime abilities. One year on from defeat at the hands of Fernando Alonso, and under pressure after a disastrous start to the campaign, he outfoxed and outraced the world champion in some style. Hungary needs no explanation, and for any driver to win in the 1996 Ferrari was a mighty, mighty achievement.

1. 2002 Austrian GP; 2. 2002 US GP; 3. 2005 Chinese GP

Forget the obvious Jerez and Adelaide moments. Schumacher's worst incidents relate not to his sheer determination to win, but the manner in which some of his success has come. Austria was unforgivable - not just accepting the win, but gloating on the slow-down lap and then not having the balls to stand on the top step of the podium. Indianapolis once again showed that arrogant streak, while China last year proved that there were days Schumacher was just an ordinary driver.

Will Gray     (WG)

1. 1992 Belgian GP; 2. 1998 Hungarian GP; 3. 2003 San Marino GP

These three wins show, more than any others, the impact Schumacher's personal skills and talent have had on what has for most of his career been a team performance. Belgium tops the list because, so the story goes, Schumacher spotted an opportunity to make a tactical switch when his teammate Martin Brundle went off. Right there, early in his career and against some of the top drivers of an outgoing era, he showed he had the mind of a champion.

In Hungary, when his team made the tactical switch and told him to push hard to make it work, his ability to race at qualifying pace showed he had the speed of a champion. And in San Marino, on the very day his mother passed away, he put the emotions to one side and displayed the emotional strength of a champion as he raced to a tear-jerking victory.

1. 1997 European GP; 2. 1994 Australian GP; 3. 2002 US GP

Schumacher has been embroiled in many controversies, but delving deeper soon points out that many of those moments are down to team tactics as much as personal input. These three races, however, are instances when Schumacher put himself in hot water, moments where his superior talents momentarily vanished.

The collision with Villeneuve in Jerez has to be Schumacher's lowest low, while the Australian Grand Prix, and a similar incident with Damon Hill, was not much better. Both displayed Schumacher's main weakness: pressure.

The Indianapolis incident, meanwhile, was an inexplicable moment in an otherwise stellar personal season. In Austria the team had intervened to influence the race result but in Indianapolis it was Schumacher's personal decision to hand Barrichello the win. After all the out-fall from the previous race earlier in the year his move, and his subsequent claim to have been trying to engineer a dead heat, was baffling as it was ridiculous.

Dieter Rencken     (DR)

1. 1994 Spanish GP; 2. 1998 Hungarian GP; 3. 2000 Japanese GP

After a duo of tragedies and serious accident, F1 was desperate for something special as it lined up for the 1994 Spanish Grand Prix. And, Michael delivered. At one-third distance hydraulic failure caused his (leading) Benetton to falter; the B194 was stuck in fifth gear with no way to swap its six cogs.

Despite now having the slowest car in the field, in the remaining 42 laps Michael lost but one place, even managing a fuel/rubber stop! Such was his adaptation to the handicap that his fastest 'problem' lap was a mere second slower than his previously-set fastest race lap. True, he failed to win, eventually trailing Damon Hill by 24 seconds, but it was a virtuoso drive and his best performance ever.

1. 2002 Austrian GP; 2. 1997 European GP; 3. 1994 Australian GP

Accepting that a Grand Prix runs from lights-out to flag-drop, Michael's worst performance, whether as racer, entertainer or worthy champion, was at the A1-Ring in 2002, for, whilst Ferrari team orders were ever expected, the blatant manner in which he willingly accepted first place from the subservient Rubens Barrichello a few metres before the line was simply appalling. Then, Michael's jubilation on the 'victory' lap compounded this cynical manipulation of the sport.

Richard Barnes     (RB)

1. 2000 Italian GP; 2. 1994 Spanish GP; 3. 1998 Hungarian GP

By Monza 2000, Mika Hakkinen had turned Schumacher's commanding early season lead of 24 points into a deficit of 6. Hakkinen had also just left Schumacher in his dust with a memorable pass at Spa, and seemed set to take his third consecutive title. Schumacher stopped the rot at Monza, with a tense but controlled win that launched his victorious comeback. It was the most significant watershed race in Schumacher's career.

Every legendary driver needs a "He did WHAT?" race on his resume. Even with the broad power band of his Benetton's Zetec engine, Schumacher finishing the 1994 Spanish GP in second place - while stuck in fifth gear - fits the bill. Hungary 1998 was the textbook example of Schumacher's strategic acuity and ability to turn in a series of qualifying laps where necessary.

1. 1997 European GP; 2. 1998 Austrian GP; 3. 1998 Monaco GP

The incident with Jacques Villeneuve at Jerez needs no explanation. Austria 1998 was not as infamous as Austria 2002 for team orders. However, in 2002, Schumacher at least had the grace to look sheepish about it.

Like every driver, Schumacher has made many driving errors, but Monaco 1998 stands out as being a particularly reckless effort. After tangling with Alex Wurz's Benetton and losing a couple of laps for repairs, Schumacher almost collided again with Jordan's Damon Hill before, on the final lap, losing his front wing in an effort to avoid clattering into the Arrows of Pedro Diniz - in sixth place and a full lap ahead of him. Usually, Schumacher's 'never say die' spirit is an admirable trait. On that occasion, it resulted in a comedy of errors.

Ross Stonefeld     (RS)

1. 2006 San Marino GP; 2. 1992 Belgian GP; 3. 1997 Monaco GP

With 90 wins and 245 GP starts, it was hard just to remember races, let alone grade them. I rate Imola so highly because it surprised me. I would have put real money on Alonso winning that race going into the final pitstops. I was absolutely convinced Alonso was going to take the lead and run away with it.

Schumacher's clarity to study teammate Brundle's tyres while running behind him at Spa in 1992 showed a level of situational awareness that you come to expect from the greats of sport, but not a rookie.

It's considered that performance in the wet is a measure of raw ability. This may be true in karting, but I think in Formula One it requires the correct decisions on tyres, set-up, strategy and measuring your pace to win. Monaco 1997 gets my nod over Spain 1996 because he did it all on a street course.

1. 1995 Belgian GP; 2. 2006 Hungarian GP; 3. 2005 US GP

He's had a lot of arguable incidents. Most of the time I think he falls right on the absolute edge of what is and isn't allowed. That never agreed upon grey area of what is sporting. However, Spa in 1995 pushed it too far when his defensive driving, while done with incredible intelligence, slipped into blocking.

His overly-spirited defense of his position in Hungary this year, which cost him crucial championship points, could still come back to haunt him. It's not what I expect of someone of his ability, experience, or big-picture thinking. Michael can't be blamed for the problems faced by his rivals and Michelin at Indianapolis last year, but even I would have been embarassed to win that race.

Pablo Elizalde     (PE)

1. 1998 Hungarian GP; 2. 1995 European GP; 3. 1996 Spanish GP

Schumacher's three-stop strategy at the 1998 Hungarian GP meant the German had to drive every lap of the race almost at qualifying pace in order to make up, as Ross Brawn had asked, 25 seconds in 19 laps. Schumacher did just that and scored one of his most amazing victories.

Europe 1995 was Schumacher's best race of his season, and probably one his best recoveries, coming back from a more than 30-second deficit to pass Jean Alesi in a daunting manoeuvre at the chicane with just a couple of laps remaining. And Spain '96 saw Schumacher, in a car that was not the class of the field, lap everybody except Alesi, who finished 45 seconds behind in the wet race.

1. 1997 European GP; 2. 1994 Australian GP; 3. 2006 Monaco GP

The 1997 European Grand Prix highlights a pattern in Schumacher's lowest points of his career: for all his greatness, Schumacher never learned when it was time to accept you have lost. Australia 1994 gets on the list for the same reasons. Finally, I chose this year's Monaco Grand Prix because not only did Schumacher seem to turn his brain off during that moment he decided to park his Ferrari at Rascasse in qualifying, but he also lied to his peers and to a worldwide audience about it.

Bruce Thomson     (BT)

1. 1996 Spanish GP; 2. 1998 Hungarian GP; 3. 1992 Belgian GP

Schumacher was simply unbelievable at Spain in '96. He took a car that didn't belong in the winners' circle and lapped nearly the entire field with it, finding quick lines around the track in the wet that no one else could see. It was an important first victory for him at Ferrari and paved the way for future success with the Scuderia.

1. 2006 Hungarian GP; 2. 1997 European GP; 3. 2002 Austrian GP

Was Hungary Schumacher's worst race ever? Perhaps not - he certainly had some good moments in it, passing so many cars at the start and catching up on a drying track. But for me, it stands as a race where I saw him make quite a few mistakes he might not have made a couple of years ago.

It was a race that showed that Schumacher is still amazingly quick, fast and aggressive but also showed that some of the "magic" might be wearing away. At the time, I thought it might be a good time for him to consider hanging up his helmet, and I think that in deference to his skills and achievements, he has chosen the right time to do this.

Craig Scarborough     (CS)

1. 1992 Belgian GP; 2. 1996 Spanish GP; 3. 2003 Austrian GP

Such has been Michael Schumacher's car advantage since 2000, that we have almost forgotten the races where he turned things around. Any wet race or any at Spa could have counted, but his maiden win covered both for Benetton.

Equally, his first win for Ferrari showed how his talent overcame the difficulties in the car and the wet conditions. Lastly, the flames at his pitstop in Austria in the difficult 2003 season showed he had the grit to push on when many others would have jumped out of the car and stopped.

1. 2006 Monaco GP; 2. 2002 US GP; 3. 2005 Turkish GP

It was strangely easy to think of his worst races, Michael has his faults and these are often badly judged and poorly dealt with in the aftermath. Monaco rates as his worst, as whatever happened in qualifying was just so unnecessary. Equally, the last lap switch in Indianapolis was as poorly judged as some of his moves to gain or protect his position. Turkey was just one of those days when he couldn't do anything right.

David Wright     (DW)

1. 1996 Spanish GP; 2. 1997 Belgian GP; 3. 2002 Belgian GP

Spain 1996 marked Michael out to anyone who thought his two titles had been down to luck or car. Dropping to ninth at the start, a series of mesmerising laps took him to the lead by lap 12, following it with being the fastest driver on each of the following 12 laps by up to four seconds. As if to reconfirm his brilliance, he repeated the task at the Belgian race in 1997.

Finally, the 2002 Belgian race showed a man perfectly in tune with his car - of the first fifteen laps, he was fastest on fourteen of them, and had a 23-second lead over teammate Barrichello by lap 27. In fact, Michael's fastest race lap was over a second faster than Barrichello's and over two seconds faster than any other driver's.

1. 1997 European GP; 2. 1996 Monaco GP; 3. 2004 Chinese GP

My choice of the European GP at Jerez relates to the specific lap/incident with Villeneuve rather than the race itself; still, this ranks as number one. Monaco 1996 was a race perfectly suited to Michael, but instead of an easy win from pole, he dropped to second at the start and was out of the race before the end of lap one with deranged suspension.

Finally, China 2004, where in one of the best cars of recent years, he spun at Turn 1 in qualifying, spun again in the race and finished a lap down in twelfth after suffering a puncture (his 2005 Chinese effort was little better).

Marcel Borsboom     (MBo)

1. 1995 Belgian GP; 2. 1996 Spanish GP; 3. 1998 Hungarian GP

It was tough chosing between the 1995 Belgian Grand Prix and the 1996 Spanish Grand Prix. In both races, Schumacher rose above his already high level and won when nobody expected it. In the end, the 1995 Belgian race got the upper hand because he had to start from way down the grid and battle his way to the win.

1. 2005 Chinese GP; 2. 2002 US GP; 3. 1997 European GP

Michael Schumacher was clearly already with his mind on the 2006 season in last year's Chinese Grand Prix. First a crash with Christijan Albers on his way to the grid, which meant he had to start from the pitlane, and in the race he spun out like a rookie. Of course there was nothing at stake anymore, but the race was way below Schumacher's standard.

Mark Glendenning     (MG)

1. 1992 Belgian GP; 2. 1998 Hungarian GP; 3. 1996 Spanish GP

Michael's first win was also one of his most brilliant. Faced with Spa at its most temperamental, Schumacher was passed by teammate Martin Brundle and noticed that Brundle's wet tyres were starting to blister. Michael figured that if Brundle was in tyre trouble then he probably was too, and immediately pitted for slicks. That ability to evaluate and then act upon a situation so decisively won him the race, and many more over the next 14 years.

Hungary was Ferrari at their strategic best. Having opted for a three-stopper, the team found themselves in the situation where Michael needed to make up 25 seconds in 19 laps. Ross Brawn put this to Schumacher over the radio, and Michael duly responded. Irrespective of whether you were a Schumacher fan or not, it was a performance to savour - as was the 1996 Spanish GP, where he lapped almost the entire field in the wet to score his first win with Ferrari.

1. 1997 European GP; 2. 1994 Australian GP; 3. 2002 Austrian GP

No surprises here. Millions of words have been written about the 1997 European GP, so I probably don't need to add anything further. But the thing that made Jerez especially distasteful was that he had done something similar before (albeit more successfully) to Damon Hill at the 1994 Australian GP.

The 2002 Austrian GP was as much a blight on Ferrari as it was Michael personally, but it encapsulated the team's philosophy of winning is everything, and sportsmanship be damned. Actually, I'd like to add every race where Eddie Irvine started on low fuel and spent the opening laps as a rolling roadblock at the front of the field, but there isn't enough space.

Matt Beer     (MBe)

1. 1995 European GP; 2. 2000 Japanese GP; 3. 1996 Spanish GP

The 1995 European GP was the first of Schumacher's 'physically impossible' victories - the days when his supernatural performance must have made the other 20-odd drivers wonder if it was worth bothering turning up for the next race. To demolish Jean Alesi's huge lead not once, but twice, defied belief.

Suzuka 2000 was a breakthrough moment after some flaky performances in preceding title deciders (1997/8). And as he cockily oversteered around a saturated Catalunya in 1996, nearly a minute clear of his rivals, being Michael Schumacher looked like an awful lot of fun.

1. 2005 Chinese GP; 2. 1998 European GP; 3. 1992 French GP

While Schumacher's famously morally dubious moments were really his darkest days, to the man himself his 'worst' Grands Prix were surely the races when he betrayed his talent not by ramming a title rival or deliberately triggering a yellow, but by driving like an inept GP2 backmarker. If a rookie had crashed into another car on the reconnaissance lap or spun off under a full course yellow - as Schumacher somehow managed to in the 2005 finale - they would have been laughed out of the paddock.

His galling defeat at Mika Hakkinen's hands in the crucial 1998 European GP must be one of the reasons why Schumacher regards the Finn as his toughest ever rival. France '92 completes the list as it proved that causing clumsy collisions at two separate race starts doesn't mean that a driver won't go on to become a seven-time champion...

Michele Lostia     (ML)

1. 1996 Spanish GP; 2. 1998 Hungarian GP; 3. 1994 Spanish GP

Regenmeister skills, racing at qualifying pace, and driving around problems. Michael Schumacher showed in those three races why he is one of the best drivers in Formula One history. His first year at Ferrari was blighted with reliability problems and his F310 was usually not quick enough. But treacherous conditions at the Barcelona track in '96 proved to be the great equalizer: he lapped almost the entire field and won his first race for the Scuderia by a country mile.

Two years later, with the McLarens running in 1-2 formation at the Budapest track, Ross Brawn changed his strategy mid-race from a two- to a three-stopper, and the only way to make it work was to drive consistently at qualifying pace. Schumacher obliged and emerged victorious.

With less than three years' experience in F1, the German suffered gear selection problems in the '94 race at Barcelona. This did not stop him however: he ran most of the race in fifth gear (including a pit stop!) and amazingly finished in second place.

1. 1997 European GP; 2. 2002 US GP; 3. 2005 Chinese GP

Win-at-all-costs attitude, manipulation of the sport, and the occasional abysmal weekend. Schumacher's legacy in the sport is certainly not spotless. The '97 title-decider at Jerez was going the German's way until around two thirds of the race, when Jacques Villeneuve closed in. When the Canadian dived on the inside of Dry Sack corner, Schumacher realized the title would be lost and drove into his rival, but his move only managed to put his Ferrari out.

With the 2002 title won long before, the Ferraris dominated the Indianapolis race. Race-leader Schumacher, however, decided to try to stage a dead heat with teammate Rubens Barrichello. It ended up with the Brazilian winning by the smallest margin, and Schumacher figuratively wiping egg off his face. 2005 was a tough year, but his Shangai race was the lowest point with a collision with Christijan Albers on his outlap before the race, and a spin off the race all on his own during a safety car period.

Sean Kelly     (SK)

1. 1994 Spanish GP; 2. 1996 Spanish GP; 3. 1995 Belgian GP

Barcelona '94 stands above anything else because he was able to finish second in a car that was stuck in fifth gear for most of the day. Demolishing the field there in the pouring rain of 1996 was memorable because of how inferior that Ferrari F310 was under normal circumstances. His Spa '95 win gets a mention because he had to earn it on the race track rather than in the pitlane. Once he'd made it from 16th to first, he held off Damon Hill despite being on the wrong type of tyres.

1. 2005 Chinese GP; 2. 1992 French GP; 3. 1998 Monaco GP

His wheel-banging incident with Alex Wurz at Monte Carlo in 1998 cost him two laps while the damage was repaired, and then he nearly took out a point-scoring Pedro Diniz when he crashed on the last lap. After taking out Senna at the first start of the '92 French GP, he then had the same accident with other drivers at the restart. Above all, China 2005 was his weekend to forget. Crashing with Albers on the outlap to the grid, starting from the pitlane and spinning out while under the Safety Car was a fitting way to end a lousy season.

Tom Keeble     (TK)

1. 1994 Spanish GP; 2. 2004 French GP; 3. 1995 Belgian GP

Finishing second with only fifth gear available to him in Spain '94 was one of the most phenomenal feats of driving; France in '04, winning with a four-stop strategy by producing qualifying pace on every lap was quintessentially Schumacher. Belgium '95 saw Schumacher win in the wet from sixteenth on the grid... pips Spain '96 only because Spa is almost synonymous with Schumacher's career!

1. 1994 Australian GP; 2. 1998 Belgian GP; 3. 2002 Austrian GP

Perhaps if he'd been punished more firmly for the Adelaide incident, there'd have been fewer others. Spa in '98 was a race he should have won, rather than run into David Coulthard - he had already crushed the field. Austria '02 was the race where team orders handed the Barrichello win to Schumacher in the dying seconds...

Biranit Goren     (BG)

1. 1998 Hungarian GP; 2. 1996 Spanish GP; 3. 1999 Malaysian GP

When I think of Michael Schumacher, I think of incredible consistency, the ability to drive on the limit not for just one lap, but over and over again, and the ability to execute any strategy that Ross Brawn throws his way. In other words, I think of the 1998 Hungarian Grand Prix.

The 1996 Spanish Grand Prix was a display of domination in one of the rare occasions when Schumacher was driving a mediocre car and did not have Brawn on the pitwall. And he still lapped almost the entire field and finished some 45 seconds ahead of anyone else. And, as for the 1999 Malaysian GP? I chose it because, let's face it, absolutely no other driver could have done the 'number two' job the way Schumacher did that day...

1. 2002 US GP; 2. 1994 Australian GP; 3. 2005 Chinese GP

Schumacher was involved in controversies aplenty, but in the 2002 US Grand Prix there was no one to blame - and no circumstance that would explain why someone would so callously and clumsily lose a win. And don't believe the story about wanting to pay back teammate Rubens Barrichello - Schumacher just wanted to arrange a photo-op and got it all wrong.

I picked the 1994 Australian Grand Prix - and not the 1997 European GP - because in 1994 he cracked under pressure. Deliberate or not, he made a mistake and got away with it. Being the fast learner that he is, it was only natural that he'd then try the same thing in 1997. And, on the subject of repetitive behaviour, Schumacher seems to get it all wrong - and worse - every time he drives in China, which doesn't bode well for next week's event...