He was Michael Schumacher’s first F1 teammate and holds the record for most consecutive Grand Prix retirements

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Michael Schumacher shared the track with some blinding talent in his time, sharing tarmac with the likes of Ayrton Senna, Lewis Hamilton and Alain Prost during his career.

Drivers were ‘happy’ to lose to Schumacher because they knew just how much talent he had. It’s why he won seven drivers’ championships.

Formula 1 wouldn’t be where it is today without him, with many of the current generation having looked up to him growing up.

Statistically, Schumacher currently sits level with Hamilton, but it all depends on how the Briton’s stint with Ferrari goes in the final years of his career. He could yet be surpassed.

Schumacher was ‘very much annoyed’ in his final Spanish Grand Prix appearance back in 2012, but even that was some 21 years after he made his debut at the Belgian Grand Prix.

READ MORE: Damon Hill recalls the off-track Michael Schumacher moment he found ‘embarrassing’ during their Formula 1 title fight

Andrea de Cesaris was Michael Schumacher’s first F1 teammate and has the most consecutive retirements

Back in 1991, when Schumacher made his debut with Jordan as a fresh-faced 22-year-old, he came up against a very experienced teammate.

The German had just caught Andrea de Cesaris in the midst of what would go on to be one of his best spells of form in the sport.

The Italian driver spent 14 years in Formula 1, scoring 59 points, five podiums and one pole position in 208 race starts.

In 1991, he scored points four times in five races and had five top-seven finishes in six races before Schumacher arrived at the Belgian Grand Prix.

But, he’s renowned for other things among his achievements, such as holding the record for the most consecutive retirements (18) between the 1985 French Grand Prix and the 1986 Portuguese Grand Prix.

He’s also tied with Riccardo Patrese for the most retirements in history (147), some 45 ahead of the next nearest contender in third (Michele Alboreto).

It’s important to remember that it all happened at a time when the cars were far more unreliable and the tracks were far more unsafe. Modern Formula 1 is a different breed, and that record may never be broken.

READ MORE: Mario Andretti reveals which Formula 1 legend he admired most between Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna

What were Andrea de Cesaris’ best seasons in Formula 1?

De Cesaris’ best season would actually come quite early on in his career with Alfa Romeo in 1983, when he earned two second places and finished eighth in the drivers’ championship.

He finished one minute from victory in Germany, but just 10 seconds from it in South Africa, and that would be the closest he would ever get to victory.

1991 has to go down as his second-best campaign, but his stint at Jordan only lasted one year before he moved on to Tyrrell for 1992.

1994 would be his swansong campaign, and he scored points one last time at the French Grand Prix for Sauber.

Unfortunately, he suffered seven consecutive retirements to round off his career at the age of 35 and would turn his attention to windsurfing after his racing career came to an end.