Sep.6 (GMM) Michael Schumacher’s extraordinary cultural reach has been underlined in Russia, where his surname has now officially entered an academic dictionary as a generic word for a racer or daredevil driver.
Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported that the Vinogradov Russian Language Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences has added the Russian spelling of “Schumacher” to its Akademos orthographic resource, with the definition “of a racer, daredevil”.
The surname had already been used colloquially in Russia since Schumacher’s peak years to describe someone driving particularly fast or recklessly, but it has now been formally codified as a common noun.
The timing is appropriate as Ferrari marks 30 years since Schumacher’s arrival at the team throughout the Monza weekend, including special liveries and tributes, with Charles Leclerc wearing a helmet inspired by the seven time world champion.
“My love for Ferrari was born there, during the years of Michael’s success,” Leclerc told La Gazzetta dello Sport at Monza, recalling watching the red cars from his childhood balcony in Monaco.
“When I learned that the team had decided to pay tribute to Schumacher during the Italian GP weekend, 30 years after his first victory in red at Monza, I wanted to try to adapt the design of my helmet to Schumacher’s, to have a part of it with me on such a special occasion.”
“He’s a driver who has left so much to Ferrari, and for me he’s an example to follow.”