Michael Schumacher’s status has been a closely guarded secret since his devastating skiing accident almost 12 years ago. The F1 icon suffered life-changing injuries when he hit his head on a rock in the French Alps.
Schumacher was placed into a medically induced coma and was unable to leave hospital for months. Since returning to his family home in Switzerland, he has been cared for by his family, led by devoted wife Corinna. The Ferrari legend was taken completely out of the public eye to preserve his privacy and very little is known about his condition. The Schumachers have two children: son Mick, who followed in his father’s footsteps by racing in F1 for Haas, and daughter Gina-Maria, who got married last year. There were claims in the German media that Schumacher was actually present in Majorca for the nuptials, with guests asked to leave their phones at the door to prevent unauthorised photos of Schumacher being taken.
However, those reports were subsequently dismissed as “fake news.” It has since emerged that just three people outside of the family are allowed to visit Schumacher…
Jean Todt
Tod was Schumacher’s boss at Ferrari during his extraordinary five-year streak of F1 championships from 2000 to 2004. The French motorsport executive has given occasional updates on his friend’s well-being while steadfastly defending the family’s privacy stance. Earlier this year, he told La Repubblica: “The family has decided not to answer the question [on his condition], a choice that I respect.
“I see him regularly and with affection, him and his family. Our bond goes beyond the past work. It is part of my life, which today is very far from Formula 1.”
Todt had previously admitted to watching F1 races with Schumacher. He told German broadcaster RTL in 2022: “I don’t miss Michael. I see him. Yes, it’s true, I watch races with Michael. But sure, I guess what I miss is what we used to do together.”
In a heartfelt admission to L’Equipe in 2023, Todt acknowledged the reality of Schumacher’s condition, saying: “[He] is simply not the Michael he used to be. He is different and is wonderfully guided by his wife and children, who protect him.”
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Ross Brawn
Schumacher’s relationship with Brawn goes back even further, with the pair working together at Benetton, where he won his first two F1 titles in the mid-1990s.
The technical director then followed Schumacher to Ferrari in 1996. The pair formed part of what was dubbed the ‘Dream Team’ that featured many of the best minds in F1 during the team’s era of dominance in the early 2000s. Schumacher worked with Brawn again for a third team, Mercedes, during his three-year comeback to the sport between 2010 and 2012.
Gerhard Berger
Berger is the third person allowed to visit Schumacher, reports the Telegraph. The pair were on-track rivals during the first half of Schumacher’s F1 career.
The pair swapped cars at the end of 1995; as Schumacher left Benetton for Ferrari, Berger went in the opposite direction. While the Austrian wasn’t in the same class as Schumacher as a driver, he is highly respected in F1 circles, having held key roles at BMW during their time in the sport and then at Toro Rosso (now Racing Bulls).
Underlining his bond with Schumacher, Berger felt a pang of emotion when Lewis Hamilton equalled Schumacher’s record of seven F1 titles. He once said: “I would have liked Michael to remain the most successful driver in history for a long time, simply because of his fate. It is so tragic that you have to cry almost every time you think about it.”