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Reuters
Reuters
Sport

Schumacher wins fan vote for F1's most influential person

FILE PHOTO: Ferrari Formula One driver Michael Schumacher of Germany celebrates winning the China Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit, October 1, 2006. REUTERS/Aly Song

Seven times world champion Michael Schumacher has been named the most influential person in Formula One history after a vote by fans on the sport's official website.

The result was revealed on Wednesday, the 70th anniversary of the first world championship grand prix at Silverstone in 1950.

Ferrari great Schumacher, who has not been seen in public since he suffered serious head injuries in a ski accident in 2013, beat former commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone with 61% of the vote in a head-to-head final.

FILE PHOTO: May 9, 2004 FORMULA ONE - Germany's Michael Schumacher leads Japan's Takuma Sato during the first lap of the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. REUTERS/Paul Hanna

The German holds the record for titles and race wins (91), although six times champion Lewis Hamilton is threatening to take both.

In earlier rounds of the tournament, Schumacher beat the late champions Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna and Juan Manuel Fangio as well as team founder Enzo Ferrari.

An expert panel had produced a 32-name shortlist, divided into four categories of drivers, team bosses, technical innovators and game changers.

FILE PHOTO: April 20, 2003 FORMULA ONE - Ferrari's Michael Schumacher is overcome with emotion on the winners podium after claiming victory in the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola just hours after his mother Elisabeth, who was in a coma, died in Cologne. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Formula One said thousands of fans had participated but did not give details.

(Reporting by Toby Davis)

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