Michael Schumacher will forever be part of the rich history of Formula 1.

The seven-time F1 champion has created some of the sport’s most iconic moments and inspired generations of talented drivers to this day. Schumacher turned 55 on Wednesday and more than a decade after suffering an injury while skiing in France, the F1 world will never forget the German’s impact on the sport.

Here at GPFans we’ve put together a collection of tributes to this great man from some of F1’s biggest names. “I remember a couple of holidays, I was young and I didn’t know that he (Michael Schumacher) was a seven-time world champion. He looks like a walking Uncle Michael.

“He was very friendly and easy to understand. simple. People always think everything is magical and glamorous and glamorous around them, but they’re just a family living together.”

“Someone like Michael will always be famous because his achievements and stats will forever be in black and white, but his personality traits will also remain the same. “Michael had a special connection with Ferrari, achieved World Championship greatness, built the team there and stayed with it for a long time.

“It’s hard to imagine, but Michael Schumacher and [NBA icon] Michael Jordan will be perceived differently over time. They will never disappear from the history books or the absolute [fans]. But for many kids today, Michael Schumacher is less popular than I was back then.

“He was a hero of our generation. In the future, Lionel Messi may become less famous than Erling Haaland. But that’s a good thing. Because every era writes its own history and every era has its heroes and heroines.

“He’s a great driver. He was an inspiration to all the drivers of our generation when our generation was competing in karting and junior formula and Michael was dominating the sport.” “He, along with the engineers, changed our approach to weekend racing, fitness, determination and work ethic. Many things in the sport have changed for the better because of Michael.”

“There is no driver like him and his experience has greatly contributed to the development of our team.

“He played a key role in our return to F1 and was one of the people who laid the foundations for our future success. “We are very grateful for everything he has done for us.”

“My first real memory of being on the track is obviously from when I was a kid, but when I was there, it felt like I was racing on the same day, the same track.

“Next was Toro Rosso Suzuka 2012. We defended it in the race until the last place, and for us that place was like a podium. It was weird because I looked in the mirror and felt like I learned a lot that day. I could feel myself learning from him and even though he was behind me I could feel what he was doing. “That day I felt like we were on the same page, which was encouraging for my career, but also surprising.

“The next race in the Driver Parade, he patted me on the back and told me I defended really well last race. I will always remember this. It was so much fun. I was a fan when I was young. “We were a Ferrari family. You’ve all probably seen pictures of me as a kid wearing a Ferrari T-shirt. Of course we were Michael fans.”