An unusual trophy stands in Ulrich Schumacher's office in Munich's industrial outskirts. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" he says of the engine from a 1973 Porsche 911 RSR. Like that other Schumacher, Formula One's world champion, the boss of Infineon Technologies, the world's sixth-biggest microchip maker, has a passion for motor racing―which also promotes the firm's range of automotive chips. Last year he even had California's venerable Sears Point racetrack renamed in his company's honour. Mr Schumacher has also driven his beloved vintage Porsches around Monza in Italy and Spa in Belgium, some of the most fabled racing tracks in Europe. Yet his fame has grown over the past year thanks to rivalries far from the track. Mr Schumacher has emerged as one of the loudest critics of his country's oppressive business climate. A lot of things can slow you down when you are based in Germany, and your rivals operate from much easier places to do business, such as Switzerland, the Netherlands, America or Taiwan. The first problem is Germany's notoriously high taxes, both on profits and on labour. Next come the unions, which this year went on strike for a 35-hour week. Then there is endless red tape to add to your headaches.
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