On 29 April, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon conferred a knighthood in the Legion of Honour (Légion d’Honneur) on Michael Schumacher for his lifetime achievements in Formula One.
The ceremony was also attended by Team Principal Ross Brawn, Michael’s wife Corinna and FIA President Jean Todt. Michael said: “I feel very honoured and proud to have received this award. The ceremony was very solemn and moving. Afterwards we had the opportunity to meet up with some close friends in Paris.”
In his laudatory speech, Fillon declared: “In order to find a comparable achievement, we would need to go back to the very earliest days of Formula One. We were convinced at the time that Juan Manuel Fangio’s record of five championship titles would never be matched again. But you have surpassed even the most illustrious of your predecessors.”
The Légion d’Honneur is an order of the French state first established in 1802 to reward military and civilian service, outstanding talent and great virtue. Membership of the Legion is the highest honour that the French state can confer.
