Schumacher ready to celebrate 300th race

Friday, 31 August 2012 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: Michael Schumacher is back in his Belgian ‘living room’ this weekend, ready to celebrate a 300th career grand prix at a Spa-Francorchamps circuit that has already given him so many great memories to treasure.

Only one other driver, Schumacher’s former Ferrari team mate Rubens Barrichello, has reached such a milestone in Formula One and the seven times world champion could not have chosen a more special place for it.

Spa was where the German made an eye-catching debut in 1991, qualifying seventh as a little-known stand-in with the Jordan team, and where with Benetton in 1992 he took the first of his record 91 wins.

The longest track in Formula One, sweeping through the Ardennes forests, was also where he won his last championship in 2004 with Ferrari. The 43-year-old has won there six times, more than any other driver.

“Spa is like my living room; For me, it’s clearly the number one race track in the world,” the Mercedes driver declared in a team preview as Formula One returned to work after the long August shutdown.

“It’s uncanny how I always seem to have special moments there...the fact that I will also take part in my 300th Grand Prix at Spa was somehow almost inevitable and we will have to celebrate it in the right way.”

While it will be a ‘triple ton’ for Schumacher, who is 12th overall in the current standings and a massive 135 points behind Ferrari’s leader Fernando Alonso with nine of the 20 races remaining, he has yet to start as many.