Michael Schumacher Prince of Asturias Award for Sports 2007

At its meeting in Oviedo, the Jury for the 2007 Prince of Asturias Award for Sports, made up of Mr. Alejandro Blanco Bravo, Mr. José María Casanovas, Ms. María Escario, Mr. José Manuel Fernández, Mr. Misael Fernández Porrón, Mr. Antonio Galeano, Mr. Julián García Candau, Mr. Eduardo Inda, Mr. Miguel Indurain, Mr. Luis Infante, Ms. María del Carmen Izquierdo, Mr. Jaime Lissavetzky, Mr. Javier Muñoz Gallego, Mr. Santiago Nolla Zayas, Mr. José Ramón Pindado, Mr. Matías Prats, Mr. Nemesio Rodríguez López, Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch Salisachs, Ms. Arancha Sánchez Vicario, Mr. José Javier Santos, Mr. Alejandro Sopeña, Mr. Javier Tola Figueruelo, Mr. Josep Lluis Vilaseca, Ms. Emma Villacieros, Ms. Olga Viza, Mr. Juan Yeregui, chaired by Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch, marquis of Samaranch, and with Mr. Ignacio Martínez as secretary, has decided by majority vote, to bestow the 2007 Prince of Asturias Award for Sports on German racecar driver Michael Schumacher.

The career of this sportsman bespeaks the greatest accomplishments achieved in every category and, from 1991, when he debuted in Formula 1 and obtained his first official victory at the Belgian Grand Prix, he won 91 grand prix races. In 1994 he was proclaimed world champion. In 2002 he equaled Argentinean Juan Manuel Fangio´s record when he won his fifth world championship. Later, with his victories in 2003 and 2004, he set the record of seven Formula 1 world championship titles.

He was proclaimed best European sportsman by this continent´s Sports Journalists´ Association in 1994, 2001 and 2002 and since 1995, he is a UNESCO Special Envoy for Education and Sports. In 2004 he donated 1.5 million Euros to this organization and in 2005 he allotted 10 million dollars to the victims of the tsunami that devastated Southeast Asia. He currently promotes sports events with the purpose of raising funds for charitable organizations and training underprivileged sportspeople. His humanitarian values have been acknowledged by numerous worldwide associations.

Oviedo, 5th September, 2007