What happened to Michael Schumacher and how is his condition now
Ask anyone to name their top 10 sportspeople of all time and a safe bet would see Michael Schumacher picked among that list.
The German F1 driver's name became with synonymous with motor racing and success in the late 1990s and early 2000s, winning a joint-record seven titles in the sport.
But his life changed dramatically on December 29, 2013, when he was involved in a horrific skiing accident.
The-then 44-year-old suffered life-changing injuries in the incident, which saw him withdraw from public life for almost 11 years - until recently, when he was reportedly made an appearance at his daughter Gina Maria's wedding last Saturday.
More on that shortly. Firstly, let's take a look at the series of events that led to this moment amid rumours, conjecture and legal battles conducted against a backdrop of secrecy.
READ MORE: Michael Schumacher seen in public for first time in more than a decade
What happened to Schumacher?
The driver retired from the sport for a second time in 2012 and was on holiday in late 2013 with his family - his wife Corinna, son Mick and daughter Gina - in the resort of Meribel in France.
The German was a keen skier and owned a chalet in the area and spent many holidays in the region, usually coinciding with his birthday on January 3.
On the morning of December 29, Schumacher was involved in an accident which saw him hit a rock, striking the right side of his head, splitting his helmet in two.
He was airlifted to hospital after initially being conscious. He was taken to Moutiers, before being moved to a specialist unit in Grenoble.
He was in a coma when he arrived and underwent immediate surgery to relieve swelling on the brain. Neurosurgeon Stephan Chabardes told media at a press conference: “He didn’t respond to questions after the accident. He didn’t have a normal neurological reaction.”
Well-wishes from around the world poured in for the superstar. Over the coming weeks there was much interest and speculation in the press over his condition, with one media outlet even sending a journalist dressed up as a priest in order to gain access to Schumacher’s room in a tasteless act.
There was little progress in the early weeks, with April 2014 the first real update on his condition with Sabine Kehm, Schumacher’s long-time press officer, releasing a statement to say he had been showing some signs of “consciousness and awakening”.
He was later brought home to Switzerland to continue his recovery in September 2014. “Michael has left the CHU Grenoble [hospital] to continue his long phase of rehabilitation. He is not in a coma anymore,” Kehm said.
After another crass attempt by someone to invade the Schumacher families' privacy and expose details of Michael's condition, his wife announced they were converting their home to have a state-of-the-art medical suite staffed by numerous medical professionals and that he would continue his recovery at their home on the shores of Lake Geneva.
Legal action
Ever since the incident, Schumacher's condition has been shrouded in secrecy, with Corinna insistent on protecting his privacy.
The family have taken legal action in the past; in 2016 they took action against German magazine Bunte after they claimed he was able to walk and raise an arm. “Unfortunately, we are forced by a recent press report to clarify that the assertion that Michael could move again is not true,” Kehm said.
“Such speculation is irresponsible because, given the seriousness of his injuries, his privacy is very important for Michael. Unfortunately, they also give false hopes to many involved people.”
Statement on 50th birthday
On his 50th birthday in 2019, the family released a statement to update fans of his health.
“We want to remember and celebrate his victories, his records and his jubilation,” read the statement. “You can be sure that he is in the very best of hands and that we are doing everything humanly possible to help him.
“Please understand if we are following Michael’s wishes and keeping such a sensitive subject as health, as it has always been, in privacy. At the same time, we say thank you very much for your friendship and wish you a healthy and happy year 2019.”
AI interview backlash
More legal action was taken earlier this year against German publication Die Aktuelle, who in 2023 published an article headlined “Michael Schumacher, The First Interview, World Sensation”.
But the interview was AI-generated, using data from old Schumacher interviews to generate answers.
Editor-in-chief Anne Hoffmann was sacked, while Funke managing director Bianca Pohlmann publicly apologised. “This tasteless and misleading article should never have appeared. It in no way corresponds to the standards of journalism that we – and our readers – expect from a publisher like Funke,” she said.
Schumacher’s family were awarded a settlement of €200,000.
What's been said recently?
Jean Todt, his former Ferrari boss and then-FIA president, who has been close to the family ever since the accident, told L'Equipe: “[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.
“His life is different now and I have the privilege of sharing moments with him. That’s all there is to say. Unfortunately, fate struck him ten years ago. He is no longer the Michael we knew in Formula 1.”
In the 2021 Netflix documentary entitled Schumacher, his family drew back the curtain slightly on his health but still kept their cards extremely close to their chests. “Michael is here,” Corinna said. “Different, but he’s here, and that gives us strength, I find. We’re together. We live together at home. We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he’s comfortable. And to simply make him feel our family, our bond.
“And no matter what, I will do everything I can. We all will. We’re trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives.”
Son Mick, now also an F1 driver, said: “I just have huge respect for Dad. I have always had that. He just has this presence. When he walks into a room, everyone goes quiet. That’s how I remember it.
“Every time I look at him, I tell myself, ‘Yes that’s how I want to be.’ Such strength, such total peace of mind. I think Dad and me, we would understand each other now in a different way. Simply because we speak a similar language, the language of motorsport. And that we would have so much more to talk about.
“That’s where my head is most of the time. Thinking that it would be cool. That would be it. I would give up everything just for that.”
Daughter's wedding
Last Saturday, Schumacher is said to have attended his daughter Gina's wedding in Spain.
The 27-year-old walked down the aisle with husband Iain Bethke at the family's villa in Majorca, with media in Germany reporting her father was there to witness the celebrations at the lavish ceremony, appearing in front of the other wedding guests.
However, it has also been reported that guests at the wedding were required to leave their mobile phones at the door to prevent any unauthorised photos of Schumacher being taken.