Everything we know about Michael Schumacher's health as F1 icon 'set for second outing'
Michael Schumacher's legion of fans have been given hope after the seven-time F1 champion attended a family wedding, with another outing set to follow
by Mark Whiley · The MirrorThe health status of F1 icon Michael Schumacher has been a closely guarded secret since his devastating skiing accident more than a decade ago.
The seven-time world champion was left with life-altering injuries after hitting his head on a rock while on a family holiday in France. In keeping with his mantra during his illustrious F1 career, Schumacher’s privacy has been fiercely protected by his wife Corinna and their inner circle.
Precious few details about his condition had made it into the public domain prior to this week’s news that Schumacher had attended the wedding of his daughter Gina in Majorca. No pictures of Schumacher from the ceremony have been released, with guests reportedly requested to leave their mobile phones at the door.
Another Schumacher wedding is now on the cards after Michael’s son Mick seemingly got engaged to long-term girlfriend Laila Hasanovic, who posted a picture of what appeared to be a diamond ring on her engagement finger on social media. It would mean Michael could be in attendance for that too down the line. And in light of this week’s news, here’s a round-up of what we do know about Schumacher’s condition…
Schumacher may have been ‘conscious and talking’ after crash
Despite the devastating repercussions of his skiing accident, Schumacher may have been conscious and talking immediately after it, according to former F1 trackside doctor Gary Hartstein.
He told Sky News at the time: “It's quite well known that extradural haematomas, a kind of cerebral haemorrhage, can leave a lucid interval after injury. Then as the haematoma forms, the increase in pressure causes sudden and dramatic symptoms. Pressure must be relieved rapidly.”
Wheelchair claim
Almost a year after the accident, fellow ex-racer Philippe Streiff said Schumacher was paralysed and wheelchair-bound, a claim which has remained unconfirmed.
However, a few years later, French magazine Paris Match published an interview with an unnamed relative, who revealed: "When you put him in his wheelchair facing the beautiful panorama of the mountains overlooking the lake [Lake Geneva, near the family home], Michael sometimes cries.”
‘Hope lost’
One of the few journalists allowed into Schumacher’s inner circle was Roger Benoit, who issued a heartbreaking update in early 2023. The friend of the family told Blick: “No [there is no hope].
“There is only one answer to this question and that is what his son Mick gave in one of his rare interviews in 2022: ‘I would give anything to talk to dad’. This sentence says everything about how his father has been doing for over 3,500 days. A case without hope.”
Benoit was referring to an insight from Schumacher's racing son Mick, who said in an episode of Netflix's Drive to Survive series: "I think dad and me, we would understand each other in a different way. Simply because we speak a similar language – the language of motorsport.”
Regular visitor and ‘watching F1’
One of the most trusted figures outside the family is Jean Todt, who was Ferrari team principal during Schumacher’s era of success with the team. The Frenchman has visited Schumacher regularly and even claims to have watched F1 races on TV with him.
Speaking to German broadcaster NTV, he said in 2022: "I don't miss Michael. I can see him. But of course, what I miss is what we used to do together." Todt added: “Yes it's true – I watch the races with Michael.”
In a more recent update, Todt told L'Equipe that Schumacher is “simply not the Michael he used to be”. He explained: “He is different and is wonderfully guided by his wife and children who protect him. His life is different now and I have the privilege of sharing moments with him. That's all there is to say.”
‘Driven around in Mercedes’
A report by the German tabloid Bild claimed that Schumacher had been driven around in a top-of-the-range Mercedes road car to recreate the sounds he was familiar with during his racing career in a bid to stimulate his brain.
Brother’s insight
Ralf Schumacher, who also raced in F1, has occasionally opened up about his brother’s condition. In a mixed update, he told Bild: “Fortunately, advanced medical science provides many opportunities. However, nothing is like it used to be."
‘Sits at dinner table’
One of Schumacher’s former teammates, Johnny Herbert, has said he heard rumours that the 91-time grand prix winner sits at the table with his family at meal times. Herbert told BettingSites.co.uk: "I hear, from those within F1, he does sit at the table for dinner but I don’t know if that is true.
"We haven’t heard much from the family and understandably so. That has always been very much a part of Michael and the family’s way to keep everything very private, very secretive."
Herbert added: “In my opinion, and I must stress this, because we haven’t heard anything from the family, it shows that unfortunately he is probably in the similar situation as he was straight after the accident.”
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