MEDICAL MYSTERY What happened to Formula One’s Michael Schumacher?
Five years after his world was turned upside down, we take a look at where the racing legend is now
There wasn’t a dry eye in the room when racing great Michael Schumacher announced his Formula One retirement on Sept. 10, 2006, just minutes after winning the Italian Grand Prix and claiming his 90th victory in Moza, Italy. “Although I am still able and capable to compete with the best drivers that are around, at some point it is good to say goodbye,” Schumacher said. “And that is what I am doing this season.”
Though he was no longer a Formula One driver at the end of the season, Schumacher went on to have a few successful years as a Ferrari adviser before returning to the track behind the wheel of a Mercedes-benz during the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 14, 2010.
But his second racing career was cut short when the experienced skier hit his head on a rock while on the slopes of the French Alps with his son Mick, 19, on Dec. 29, 2013. After being placed in an induced coma for six months, the father-of-two underwent rehabilitation before returning home.
Since then, little information has been released regarding Schumacher’s condition, however media outlets have continued to speculate after the family’s lawyers revealed that Schumacher was “unable to walk or stand alone.”
In September 2017, Swedish newspaper Expressen reported that the 49-year-old could be set to travel to Texas to undergo treatment from a brain-trauma specialist, Dr Mark Meeks, after his wife of 23 years, Corinna was rumoured to be seeking alternative care. “We have extensive experience with trauma patients,” Meeks told the publication. “There is probably no clinic in Europe that handles as many cases as we do.”
In a recently revealed letter Corinna wrote to thank German musician Sascha Herchenbach who sent the family his band’s song “Born to Fight”, recorded just months after Schumacher’s accident, reads: “We all know Michael is a fighter and will not give up.” During the 2018 racing season, Schumacher’s manager, Sabine Kehm, hinted at the family’s desire for privacy when asked about the former driver’s condition. “The family really appreciates the empathy of the fans,” she said. “The people really do see and understand his health situation is not to be shared in the public eye.”
In August, French publication Paris Match claimed 15 specialists were attending to the racing veteran at his Swiss home on a rotating basis. An anonymous relative told the magazine, “When you put him in his wheelchair facing the magnificent panorama of the mountains overlooking the lake, Michael sometimes cries.”
At the same time, Schumacher’s son spoke with the BBC following a demonstration lap on the 25th Anniversary of his father’s first Grand Prix win, revealing he had a “huge influence” on him. Only a young boy when his dad retired, Mick explained he had since learned a lot about his career. He told the BBC, “I always look back and it is just nice to see what he has reached and all his tricks.”
Speaking to The Sun in October, Schumacher’s former Ferrari general manager said he still pays fortnightly visits to his ex-colleague. “I love Michael. I see his family. I wish the situation would be different.”
Then, on Nov. 8, Kehm released a statement saying the family had become actively involved in German charity Keep Fighting – which is “directly inspired by Michael Schumacher” – after they created a poster to celebrate his career. “This is a stunning way to celebrate Michael’s iconic career and, by the way, a very beautiful poster.”
Despite avoiding the topic, once again, of Schumacher’s condition, the statement could be interpreted that his family want his racing legacy to continue no matter what.
When Mick was asked by the BBC if fans could expect to see him in the future competing in Formula One just like his father, he responded, “Hopefully.”
“We all know Michael is a fighter and will not give up” —Corinna Schumacher