Michael Schumacher joined the Ferrari Formula One team in 1996.
Schumacher moved from Benetton to Ferrari for the 1996 season after winning consecutive Drivers’ Championships with Benetton in 1994 and 1995. Ferrari had last won the Drivers’ title in 1979, so the signing was a major attempt to restore the team to the top of Formula One. His contract was reported to be worth $60 million over two years.
The Ferrari F310 was not an easy car to drive, and Schumacher retired from seven of the season’s 16 races. Even so, he won three Grands Prix, including the Spanish Grand Prix in difficult wet conditions, and finished third in the Drivers’ standings. His victories helped Ferrari finish second in the Constructors’ Championship.
Schumacher’s arrival was only the beginning of Ferrari’s revival. In 1997, key Benetton personnel Rory Byrne and Ross Brawn followed him to Maranello. Schumacher narrowly missed the 1997 and 1998 titles before winning five consecutive championships with Ferrari from 2000 through 2004. He remained with the team until the end of 2006.