Nineteen former Formula One drivers will line up at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans. F1 drivers usually go to the famous French endurance event after a career in single seaters. However, Michael Schumacher is a notable exception since he competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans before going into F1. During the 1990 season of the World Sportscar Championship (a forerunner to the FIA WEC), the Sauber-Mercedes outfit decided to train three young drivers: Germans Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Michael Schumacher, and Austrian driver Karl Wendlinger. Michael Schumacher at Le Mans is not widely known.

Follow Double Apex on Instagram and Facebook where we share more car content.

Buy now and take advantage of free delivery in South Africa on orders over R349.

Breeding Ground

In the 1990s Mercedes-Benz was making a re-entry into world motorsport. The German giant had withdrawn from all forms of motorsport when a tragic accident killed 80+ people at the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans. As part of its return Mercedes was training a few talented youngsters. Among them a chap by the name of Michael Schumacher. From the word go, some knew he would go on to do great things. Among them our own Sarel van der Merwe, who said so in this article.

Click here to watch the last time there were no chicanes on the Mulsanne Straight at La Sarthe.

Mercedes entered a third car at the 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans. This was Schumi’s one and only appearance at La Sarthe. You can watch all the ins and outs of that in the video below. Unfortunately, victory eluded the young German, who would, a year later, start to rewrite the F1 record books. He keeps good company as several other single seater pilots didn’t taste success at the French classic. Among them Nino Farina, Alberto Ascari, Jack Brabham, Mario Andretti, Nelson Piquet, Keke Rosberg, Nigel Mansell, Jacques Villeneuve and Damon Hill.