Michael Schumacher stole a fork lift truck after ‘F1’s craziest party’ in wild Ferrari title celebrations

Nobody threw a party like Michael Schumacher.

Long before Jack Grealish and co rocked up at Ocean Beach in Ibiza, a certain Schumacher was becoming the standard bearer of the party scene.

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The seven-time Formula One world champion was a giant on the track and a reveller off it.

And who would begrudge that of arguably the greatest driver in the sport’s history who often found the time to bask in the glory of his greatness.

His infamous and eccentric parties were as frequent as his race wins; however one particular escapade stood out above all others.

The Ferrari driver had plenty of reason to celebrate having just clinched his sixth world title, and what better place to do it than the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.

Schumacher would have known only too well what was to follow and it wasn’t a Rappongi-style night out in Tokyo.

This was far more deranged.

Accompanied by track rival Kimi Raikkonen and brother and fellow F1 star Ralf, the newly-crowned champion decided to throw what is now dubbed ‘F1’s craziest party’.

Let’s just say that the Schumacher brothers left what can only be described as a trail of destruction.

What started with a beer or five and the finest Cuban cigars nestled between the F1 Champs’ teeth, ended with brother Ralf throwing a television out of a window.

Schumacher himself, was seen covered from head to toe in booze with his shirt open, whilst sporting a washboard set of abs even Mo Salah would be proud of.

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As the night wore on, the German star also opted to push the boundaries and did so by stealing a fork lift truck and driving it around the paddock.

However, the most impressive part of the shenanigans was that Schumacher was spotted leaving his hotel room at 10am the following morning as if nothing had happened.

Smartly dressed, hair on point and sporting a pair of designer sunglasses, Schumacher casually strolled out of the hotel as he prepared to return home.

Recalling that wild night in Japan, Ralf told the Formel1.de Youtube channel: “We had many legendary parties back then at Karlheinz Zimmermann’s catering.

“The successes that Michael achieved. But even then, we celebrated, and it was usually in Suzuka, where it was quite extreme. 

“I remember torn pants and such, but that’s part of it. We just drove towards the hotel with a forklift in the evening. I was on it too. It was quite fun. Memories, very fond memories that I wouldn’t want to miss.”

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Ralf lifted the lid on his own experiences of the party culture within F1.

He added: “We actually went to the karaoke bars, which were still around at the time. That’s where everyone met up, and on that day, it went on until 5:00 in the morning.

“I remember it so well because I had to fly to Shanghai without sleep and had to stop the interview multiple times in Shanghai because I felt so sick. But they were still good times.”

All good things come to an end and Schumacher eventually decided to ditch the party scene in favour of a more healthier approach to his race fitness.

Ralf said: “Then there was the extreme training. My brother raised the fitness level to a new level. Parties were no longer in there.”