GERMANY: THOUSANDS OF FANS TURN OUT IN KERPEN TO SEE WORLD FORMULA ONE CHAMPION MICHAEL SCHUMACHER TAKE ON WORLD'S BEST KART DRIVERS

Record ID: 646810

  • Title: GERMANY: THOUSANDS OF FANS TURN OUT IN KERPEN TO SEE WORLD FORMULA ONE CHAMPION MICHAEL SCHUMACHER TAKE ON WORLD'S BEST KART DRIVERS
  • Date: 28th October 2001
  • Summary: KERPEN, MANNHEIM, GERMANY (OCTOBER 28 2001)(REUTERS) 1. WIDE SHOT OF CAR WITH KART MANIAC ON WINDSCREEN 2. WIDE SHOT OF FANS QUEUEING FOR TICKETS 3. VARIOUS SHOTS OF WARM UP ROUND 4. VARIOUS SHOTS OF FANS QUEUEING WITH UMBRELLAS 5. VARIOUS SHOTS OF QUALIFYING ROUND 6. WIDE SHOT OF KART BEING BROUGHT OUT 7. VARIOUS WIDE SHOTS OF MICHAEL SCHUMACHER STANDING IN DRIVERS PIT (IN GREEN SUIT) 8. VARIOUS SHOTS OF MICHAEL SCHUMACHER STARTING FIRST RACE (IN RED SUIT) 9. VARIOUS SHOTS OF FIRST RACE 10. VARIOUS SHOTS OF SCHUMACHER HAVING TO CHANGE HIS KART AFTER A TECHNICAL PROBLEM 11. VARIOUS SHOTS OF FIRST RACE (SCHUMACHER IN NUMBER 30) 12. VARIOUS SHOTS OF SPECTATORS WATCHING 13. SOUNDBITE (German) FAN RICO GEITEL SAYING: (Michael) Schumacher pushed the sport into the spotlight, it became popular through him. 14. VARIOUS SHOTS OF RACE 15. SOUNDBITE (German) FAN MARKUS KRAMER SAYING: Schumacher grew up with Karting, I'm sure he enjoys it. (Asked if Schumacher is the reason he is there.) Yes, just because of Michael. 16. KARTS IN ACTION Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 12th November 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: KERPEN, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVA2LTSRRLDQOJGQ97VOSEMPT4Y7
  • Story Text: Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher, usually
    unhappy with anything but first place, was all smiles after
    spinning out of a kart race in his home town on Sunday.


    Thousands of fans turned up at Kerpen to see Michael
    Schumacher take on the best kart drivers on Sunday (October
    28, 2001).

    Schumacher, who grew up racing karts, said "I had a lot of
    fun" after taking part in the final round of the kart world
    championship on the western German track.

    "To do this all again was a big challenge," he added.

    The German's love for motor racing dates back to the times
    when he used to race karts on the Kerpen track with his
    younger brother Ralf. Their father, Rolf, was the groundsman
    there and their mother, Elisabeth, sold sausages on race days.

    But it was a surprise to many that Schumacher took the
    risk of pitting himself against the young hot-shots of the
    karting world. On current form some of those driving against
    him on Sunday could be in a formula one team in five or even
    four years time.

    Schumacher, who lost weight to get ready for the race,
    proved he had not lost any of his kart skills by setting the
    fastest time in Friday's free practice.

    But a wet track in Saturday's qualifying meant he had to
    be content with the 22nd best time, losing any chance of doing
    well on Sunday.

    He was moving up the field when he spun after 15 laps in
    the 23-lap race and had to pull out with a broken engine, and
    was classified 25th in the first race.

    Schumacher came third in the second race.

    The world title went to the 19-year-old Italian Vitantonio
    Liuzzi, who was already leading the championship comfortably
    before arriving at Kerpen. His fourth in the first race
    assured him of the title and his 29th place in the second did
    not matter. The young Italian driver has already had his first
    run in cars and has his sights set on formula one.

    Willi Weber, the manager of the Schumacher brothers said
    he was pleased to see Michael racing in karts again. "It's
    nice to see him coming back to his roots," he said . "Watching
    him here reminded me of how it all started 12 years ago."
    Even his poor qualifying time did not dent Schumacher's
    enthusiasm.

    "I like being at the back because that's where you get all
    the battles," said the Ferrari driver, who was cheered on by
    some 5,000 fans on Sunday.

    Interestingly it is the McLaren formula one team -
    Ferrari's main rival - which has already taken the step to
    groom young kart-drivers for their team. Two of those
    finishing in the top ten at Kerpen, Lewis Hamilton and Nico
    Rosberg, belong to team mbm.com which receives the support of
    McLaren and its engine builders.

    Nico Rosberg has good qualifications for entering the
    McLaren team in the future. His father is former world
    champion Keke Rosberg, who now acts as Mika Hakkinen's
    manager.

    Selected results of world championship race 1 over 23 laps
    1. Sauro Cesetti no.9 Italy 22 mins 11.044
    2. Marco Ardigo 31 Italy 2.507 secs behind
    3. Franck Perera 2 France 3.777
    4. Vitantonio Liuzzi 7 Italy 10.5
    5. Nico Rosberg 16 Finland 10.615
    6. Hiroshi Umegaki 32 Japan 11.798
    7. Lewis Hamilton 15 UK 21.470
    8. Darren Bressaglia 34 Luxembourg 24.472
    Michael Schumacher No. 30 was classified 25th after
    completing only 15 laps
    Selected results of world championship race 2 over 23 laps
    1. Ardigo 21 mins 58.480
    2. Cesetti 0.739 secs behind
    3. Michael Schumacher 30 Germany 5.339 behind
    4. Rosberg 6.258
    5. Marko Asmer 29 Estonia 7.715
    6. Umegaki 9.729
    7. Caren Burton 37 Belgium 15.569
    8. Hamilton 16.425
    Liuzzi is world champion at the end of a series of 5 race
    meetings.


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