Michael Schumacher, the legendary seven-time Formula 1 world champion, has remained out of the public eye since a devastating skiing accident in December 2013 that left him with severe brain injuries. The German former racer, now 56, fell while skiing off-piste in the French Alps, striking his head on a rock despite wearing a helmet. He was airlifted to hospital and placed in a medically induced coma for several months before being transferred home to his family’s residence on Lake Geneva in Switzerland several months later, where he continues to receive round-the-clock medical care.
More than a decade has passed and little is know about Schumacher’s condition, though it is described as profoundly challenging. Reports indicate he is predominantly bed-bound, unable to speak and reliant on a team of up to 15 caregivers for his daily needs. Finnish neurosurgeon Dr Jussi Posti, who has monitored the case, suggested in recent comments that Schumacher has likely remained in a similar state ever since the accident. “Based on the information available, I don’t think he leads a very active life,” he told Finnish outlet Iltalehti.
German broadcaster Felix Gorner echoed this sentiment, portraying Schumacher as “a person… who can no longer express himself through language,” adding that it is “a very sad state of affairs.”
Court documents from earlier this year further described him as “partly helpless, in need of care and visibly marked” by his injuries. Insiders have revealed that he communicates non-verbally, primarily through his eyes, with only a handful of trusted individuals allowed to visit, including former Ferrari colleagues Jean Todt and Ross Brawn and ex-driver Gerhard Berger.
Amid challenges, the Schumachers recently found joy in Michael’s nephew David Schumacher’s engagement. The 24-year-old racer, son of former F1 ace Ralf Schumacher, proposed to Hungarian racing driver Vivien Keszthelyi during a Maldives trip on earlier this month.
The Schumacher family has vigilantly protected his privacy, with long-time manager Sabine Kehm insisting in 2016: “Michael’s health is not a public issue, and so we will continue to make no comment in that regard.”
His wife, Corinna, has been steadfast in this approach, insisting in a 2021 Netflix documentary: “We’re trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does. Michael always protected us, and now we are protecting Michael.”
Their son, Mick, another former F1 driver, reflected in the same film on the emotional toll: “I think dad and me, we would understand each other in a different way now… I would give up everything just for that.”
Despite the family’s privacy efforts, Schumacher’s condition has been exposed through leaks and extortion. Earlier this year, a blackmail plot surfaced involving former nightclub doorman Yilmaz Tozturkan and accomplices, who demanded £12million to prevent releasing nearly 900 photos, 600 videos and medical records onto the dark web. The images show Schumacher in a hospital bed, wheelchair and hooked to equipment.
Tozturkan received a three-year prison sentence, while others were handed suspended terms. A missing hard drive, however, raises concerns, with barrister Thilo Damm warning: “We don’t know where the missing hard drive is… there is the possibility of another threat through the backdoor.”