Over a decade after the ski accident that changed his life, Michael Schumacher remains enveloped in a mystery veil. The former world champion of Formula 1 continues to be the subject of numerous speculations, rumors and attempts to enter his private life.
Michael Schumacher, in the German press. Photo: EPA
12 years after the terrible ski accident in 2013, which marked life forever, Michael Schumacher remains a figure enveloped in silence and mystery. Since then, only information fragments have been revealed about its real health, and each new rumor reansing the curiosity and emotion of fans around the world, notes Express.co.
More than a year ago, the international press was enthusiastic after information that Michael Schumacher participated in his daughter’s wedding, Gina Maria, organized at the family villa in Mallorca, in September. This would have been his first public appearance after 11 years, but later the family close to the family denied this information, cataloging them as “false news”.
However, the intense reactions that this news has aroused have once again demonstrated how profound the condition that the public carries to the former pilot, but also how much interest around his condition persists.
Since the accident in the French Alps, in December 2013, when he was seriously struck after a fall on a stone that broke the helmet, Michael Schumacher was kept in an induced coma for months, being subsequently transferred to his residence on the shore of Lake Geneva.
Since then, he receives permanent medical care from his wife, Corinna, and a specialized team. Only a few people close have access to him, and the family has rigorously retained discretion on his health.
“It’s a very sad situation”
In recent years, various publications have suggested that Schumacher’s condition would have improved, but these reports have been inaccurate. His alleged public appearances, as well as the rumor that he had signed a helmet for Jackie Stewart, were denied, proving that, in fact, the helmet was signed by Corinna, on behalf of her husband.
The close friends offered, however, some details about the real state of health of the Formula 1 champion. Former Flavio Briatore manager recently said he would prefer to keep Schumacher smiling, as he knew during his victories.
“If I close my eyes, I see him smiling after a victory. I prefer to remember him this way, but lying on the bed. However, I talk to Corinna,”
said Michael Schumacher’s former manager.
For his part, the German presenter Felix Görner described the situation as “very sad”, saying that the former champion “can no longer communicate by words” and depends on his caregivers.
“He is a person … who can no longer express himself through language. It is a very sad situation. He was, in fact, a hero, an indestructible hero. (…) We cling to hope, a straw thread. But he simply does not feel good, so we will not see it.” he said.
According to the German press, Michael Schumacher benefits from continuous care from a team of up to 15 people. In a 2023 process, it was mentioned that he is “partially helpless, needs permanent care and is visibly affected” by the injuries suffered. In the same context, images drained in the press would have shown him in a medical bed and in a wheelchair, connected to life support devices.
The scandal of missing images from the family computer
The extreme discretion of the Schumacher family was put to the test when it became the target of a blackmail. In February this year, three people were convicted for the family extract attempt, worth 12 million pounds.
The main culprit, Yilmaz Tozturkan, a 53 -year -old nightclub, threatened to publish Schumacher’s personal photos and video files, including confidential medical documents.
The information, ie about 900 personal photos, almost 600 videos and confidential medical files, would have been obtained with the help of Markus Fritsche, an employee of a security company guarding the family residence, accused of stole the data on a hard disk.
Following this scandal, Yilmaz Tozturkan was sentenced to three years in prison, Markus Fritsche received two years with suspension, and his accomplices, Daniel Lins, the son of Tozturkan, an expert IT, was sentenced to six months with suspension.
Schumacher’s restricted circle
From the accident, only a very small number of people is allowed to see Michael Schumacher. These include former close collaborators of Formula 1, such as Jean Todt, Ross Braww and former pilot Gerhard Berger. All three are considered members of the “trust circle” of the family.
Also, the manager of Michael Schumacher, Sabine Kehm, the German journalist who worked for the champion family for over 25 years, is also in the circle of trusted circle. She is responsible for managing Schumacher’s public image and has repeatedly emphasized the importance of protecting the private life of the champion.
In a 2016 statement Kehm stated: “Michael’s health is not a public issue, so we will continue to not comment in this regard. We must protect his intimate sphere. From a legal and long -term point of view, any statement related to his health would diminish his intimate sphere.”
The same attitude is shared by Michael Schumacher’s wife, Corinna, who, in the documentary Netflix Schumacher in 2021, said with emotion: “We try to continue as a family, as Michael liked and still likes. And we continue our life. For me it is very important for him to continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible. Michael has always protected us, and now we protect Michael.”
