The German's shrewd racing mind and renowned driving ability, especially in the wet, have brought him deserved praise, respect - if not perhaps affection - and a series of records that appear insurmountable.
The winner of more grands prix (91) and World Championships (seven) than any other driver in F1 history, Schumacher could be set for more success over the next three seasons, having decided to come out of retirement to race for Mercedes GP.
Following his F1 debut for Jordan in 1991, Schumacher joined Benetton and made rapid progress, winning his first grand prix the following year before becoming the sport's then youngest World Champion in 1994.
But along with success came controversy, with race suspensions and accusations of bad sportsmanship, culminating in a collision with title rival Damon Hill as the pair fought for the title at that year's Australian Grand Prix.$HOME4
Despite appearing to have an inferior car, Schumacher beat Hill to the title again the following season before joining Ferrari - the Scuderia at that time struggling. His title aspirations therefore took a backseat in 1996, but his crushing victory in wet conditions in Spain that year served as a reminder that more would inevitably follow.
Another infamous incident, this time with 1997 title rival Jacques Villeneuve (who came off the better when Schumacher hit his Williams in the final race of the season at Jerez), was blamed on the German and resulted in the loss of his runner-up status in the Drivers' Championship.
The following year he again came close, challenging McLaren's Mika Hakkinen for the title right to the wire at Suzuka. However, Schumacher's hopes died when he had to start from the back of the field after his car stalled on the grid. Many suspect Schumacher of making a rare mistake - Ferrari blamed the car.
In 1999 it looked as though Schumacher might finally take the Drivers' Championship back to Maranello. However, a first-lap accident at the British
GP left him with a broken leg. Despite missing six races, Schumacher returned in style in Malaysia, where he utterly dominated the entire weekend.
A year later Schumacher finally completed the job that he joined Ferrari to do. He clinched the Drivers' Championship in Japan, handing the Italian team their first world title for 21 years.
Armed with the dominant Ferrari F2001 in 2001 and the F2002 in 2002, Schumacher, who'd previously won world championships in cars that weren't
the best, proceeded to rewrite the F1 record books. He won his fourth title easily in 2001 and similarly cruised to his fifth the following year.
But 2002 wasn't without its controversies. At the Austrian Grand Prix, the sixth race of the year, Ferrari team boss Jean Todt asked team-mate Rubens Barrichello to gift Schumacher the race - the Brazilian slowing within sight of the chequered flag to let his team leader past. A furious Austrian crowd booed them on and off the podium and Schumacher was so embarrassed he put Barrichello onto the top step to take the winner's trophy.
Later in the year - and with the title in the bag - Schumacher was leading the United States Grand Prix when he backed off close to the line in an attempt to dead-heat with his team-mate. It backfired and a surprised Barrichello found himself the winner.
Schumacher's success continued in 2003 despite the FIA implementing new rules intended to slow him down and level the playing field. The season, though, was a lot closer than those in the recent past, with both McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen and Williams' Juan Pablo Montoya still in the running for the title at the penultimate race.
A controversial penalty for Montoya at Indianapolis meant that only Raikkonen could put an end to Schumacher's run of success. The Finn, though, needed to win the final race of the season in Japan and for his rival not to score. It was not to be. Barrichello stormed to the victory and assured his team-mate of his sixth world title. To be safe, though, Michael brought his car home in eighth place and won the title by a slim two-point margin, which gave his rivals a glimmer of hope ahead of the following year's Championship.
That hope was soon extinguished, however, as 2004 proved the most one-sided season in F1 history. Schumacher blitzed the field to win the first five races, although the next race in Monaco ended with him crashing following a contretemps with Montoya.
However, his campaign was back on track at the European Grand Prix, which was the start of a seven-race long winning streak. His next non-victory came in Belgium where he finished second behind Raikkonen. The eight points though were enough to ensure the German bagged title number seven.
With the title came a change of fortune, with just one victory in the remaining four races. However, Schumacher's total haul for the year was an incredible 13 victories from 18 races.
Rivals were finally handed a chance in 2005 after Ferrari's tyre supplier Bridgestone struggled with new rules banning tyre stops in races.
Schumacher's only win that year came in the infamous United States Grand Prix, which saw only six Bridgestone-shod cars take the start after Michelin runners withdrew amid safety concerns.
That victory was one of only five podium finishes for the German, who could do nothing to prevent Renault's Fernando Alonso from ending his five-year reign.
Ferrari, Bridgestone and Schumacher bounced back strongly in 2006, though, as a surge of victories mid-season placed him as the main rival to Alonso, who had dominated the opening races.
Indeed, it appeared possible that Schumacher might take an eighth title after he supplanted Alonso at the top of the standings in China. But luck played into the Spaniard's hands next time out in Japan when, leading the race, Schumacher's Ferrari suffered a rare engine failure.
He could not prevent Alonso from taking his second successive title in the season finale in Brazil but, in his final race before retirement, Schumacher departed in suitable style, carving his way through the field from 19th place after suffering a puncture to finish fourth.
Schumacher stayed close to the action during his retirement, acting as a consultant to Ferrari and testing their cars on occasion. Both gave the impression of a man who had yet to get racing out of his system - something that was made explicit when he was lined up to replace Felipe Massa after the Brazilian suffered serious injuries during qualifying for the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix.
A neck injury prevented that comeback but Schumacher's appetite had been whetted. Thus, after World Champion Jenson Button left Mercedes GP for McLaren, team boss Ross Brawn - with whom Schumacher won all of his world titles - knew exactly who to call.
The news has electrified the sport and given an added dimension to what already promises to be a vintage season. At the age of 41 can Schumacher show the new generation the way?
Formula One's first day of pre-season testing began in Valencia this morning to kick off 15 days of track action ahead of the first race of the 2010 season in Bahrain on 14 March.
Vitaly Petrov has taken his place in Formula One history 20 years after his road to glory began with a spin in his father's Lada.
Jenson Button may have joined McLaren for the challenge, but he is adamant he no longer has anything to prove to anyone - not even to himself.
The 41-year-old is returning to Formula 1 with new team Mercedes after a three-year spell away from the sport.
Formula1's comeback king Michael Schumacher wants to win his eighth World title - though he concedes he might not do it this season.
