Motor racing superstar ‘isn’t bed-ridden’
Fresh claims have emerged that injured Formula One superstar Michael Schumacher isn’t bedridden as he nears 50 and the fiveyear anniversary of his lifethreatening skiing accident.
December 29 is the anniversary of the fall that ended the motor racing career of a legend as Schumacher hit his head on a rock in the French Alps and was air-lifted to hospital.
With his family insisting on secrecy about Schumacher’s personal life, there has been little but speculation on his health since then and a global fascination about his future has ensued.
With Schumacher set to celebrate his 50th birthday on January 3, the Daily Mail has produced a look ‘‘inside the hidden world’’ of the seven-time world champion.
‘‘Sportsmail understands that he is not bed-ridden. Nor is he existing on tubes. Yet it is believed he is receiving extensive nursing and therapy care, which has been estimated to cost more than £50,000 (NZ$92,600) a week,’’ wrote Jonathan McEvoy.
The report said Schumacher was living with his immediate family in the main body of the £50m (NZ$92.6m) lakeside mansion in Gland, Switzerland, and wasn’t housed in a specialist medical facility at his residence.
There has been speculation such a facility had been built in a new cottage on the property. But the latest report insisted that cottage ‘‘was always intended as a base for his widower father when he stayed’’.
The report repeated suggestions in German magazine Bravo that Schumacher could be transferred to a clinic in Dallas, Texas, that specialises in treating brain injuries.
Mark Weeks, the director, told the magazine: ‘‘We have a lot of experience with patients who are suffering this kind of trauma. There is probably no clinic in Europe that treats as many cases as we do.’’
But, as is the norm, the Schumacher family has refused to comment on the speculation.
Jean Todt, Schumacher’s friend and former Ferrari team principal, now FIA president, confirmed he had watched last month’s Brazilian Grand Prix with the stricken star at the Schumacher residence.
Schumacher’s 50th birthday celebrations are expected to be an intensely private affair amongst his family.
‘‘The best present for Michael and the family as he approaches his 50th birthday is for people to remember him as the best racer and record-breaker that he is,’’ Sabine Kehm, loyal spokeswoman for the Schumacher family, said.