Eight years have now passed since the ski accident in Meribel that tragically changed the life of the Schumacher family. Michael, on that 29 December 2013, due to a fall while skiing, reported widespread brain injuries. A cruel fate, especially given that, as his wife Corinna revealed in the documentary made by Netflix, the choice for those holidays could have also been Dubai, where the Schumacher family would have been able to experience the thrill and joy of skydiving.
Today the seven-time Formula 1 world champion celebrates his 53rd birthday and is still a world record holder alongside Lewis Hamilton as his ‘grandson’ Max Verstappen beat the Mercedes driver in the fight for the world champion this season. Hamilton and Schumacher are still equal on seven world titles and the Mercedes driver still remembers the emotion felt in a test in the 2006 when for the first time he shared a track with one of his idols: “I remember the first time we were on the track together. It was in 2006 during a test, it was just unreal for me to suddenly be on the track with him. I just drove behind him because right before that, I was still driving as Michael in my computer game.” – the Mercedes driver said.
“We are all with you Michael, today as every day”, the tribute from Ferrari on social networks dedicated to the driver who in 2000 broke a 21-year period without the Formula 1 Drivers’ title for the Maranello team. At Suzuka, Michael Schumacher broke the negative moment that had lasted since 1979 when it was Jody Scheckter who prevailed and then managed to repeat himself in the following four seasons.
The one who was able to interrupt the magical years of the Schumacher-Ferrari duo was Fernando Alonso, who won at the wheel of Renault in 2005 and 2006. In 2005 Alonso’s opponent was Kimi Raikkonen with McLaren, but in 2006, the Spanish driver faced Michael Schumacher himself: “Michael is a legend of the sport. I think Michael was for me, the biggest rival that I consider [to have had in] my career. [He was] like a teacher, for me. I learned so much from him in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and in 2005/2006, we fought wheel to wheel with him.”
From 2021, the surname Schumacher returned to F1 thanks to his son Mick, who made his debut at the wheel of the Haas. The Ferrari Driver Academy member is confident of having a more competitive car in 2022 and will be Ferrari’s reserve driver together with Antonio Giovinazzi. Jean Todt, former President of the FIA, on the Paris stage for the awards gala that concluded the 2021 F1 season, added: “In these moments, I miss Michael“. A void felt not only by Jean Todt, but also by all of us fans.
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