On 29 December 2013, Michael Schumacher suffered a skiing accident in France that changed his life forever. Over the years, his family has managed to prevent almost any information about his health condition from leaking out.
Every year, on 29 December, Michael Schumacher is remembered with affection. On that day in 2013, he was involved in a skiing accident in Méribel, France, where he hit his head on a rock. Twelve years have now passed, and very little information has emerged about Schumacher. Through a carefully structured network, his family has succeeded in ensuring that virtually nothing has filtered out about the health of the driver who indelibly linked his career to Ferrari.
The skiing accident in Méribel
After closing his three-year stint with Mercedes at the end of the 2012 season and leaving Formula 1 at the age of 43, shortly before turning 45 (he was born on 3 January 1969), “Kaiser” Schumi suffered the skiing accident. It later emerged that the helmet he was wearing at the time of the fall shattered on impact. He was placed in a coma in hospital and subsequently transferred to Lausanne, Switzerland.
From that moment on, there was total silence. The family asked for privacy, and that request was respected. Almost nothing was known for nearly a year. In September 2014, it was announced that Schumacher had been transferred back home, where he would receive the highest level of care from leading professionals, including doctors and nurses who look after him on a daily basis.
When Jean Todt said he watched a Grand Prix with Schumacher
After that, years passed with almost no information. Only a very small number of people have been able to see him or visit him. Among them is Jean Todt, the man who brought Schumacher to Ferrari, who has occasionally shared small updates.
In 2020, Todt told the Daily Mail: “I saw Michael last week, he is fighting together with his family.” A few months later, he stated that their meetings took place a couple of times a month, and some time after that he said that they had watched more than one Formula 1 Grand Prix together.
The words of Corinna Schumacher and Mick
In the Netflix documentary Schumacher, Michael’s wife Corinna spoke openly about her husband, using words that have remained deeply etched: “Michael misses me every day, and he misses the whole family, the children as well as his father. Even though he is here, he is no longer the same.”
Meanwhile, his son Mick, who later became a Formula 1 driver himself, spoke about the advice he received from Michael regarding motorsport and said candidly: “Today we would understand each other in a different way. I think about how beautiful that would have been. I would give anything to be able to talk to him.”
The helmet signed for Jackie Stewart
Privacy is sacred. No information has ever been officially confirmed. Not even the reports published by some media outlets claiming that the seven-time world champion was present at the wedding of his daughter Gina-Maria in October 2024. It is only known that Michael Schumacher signed, with the help of his wife, a helmet that was later auctioned for Jackie Stewart’s association.
The legal cases won by the Schumacher family’s lawyer
Why is there no information about Michael Schumacher’s health condition? There is no single answer, but rather a combination of factors. First and foremost, there is a kind of understanding between the media, the Schumacher family and Sabine Kehm, the family’s long-time spokesperson.
That said, the privacy of the former Ferrari and Benetton driver has not always been respected. There have been leaks and moments of misconduct, but the Schumacher family instructed their lawyers to take action whenever necessary.
This was the case with the so-called “Bunte case”, involving a German magazine that was taken to court after publishing a cover story claiming: “Michael is walking again.” Lawyer Felix Damm stated in court that this was not true, the report was denied and a compensation of 50,000 euros was paid.
In Germany, there was also the “Die Aktuelle” case. The magazine published what it claimed was an exclusive interview with Schumacher, which in reality had been generated by artificial intelligence. Legal action was launched immediately and the editor-in-chief was dismissed on the spot.
The very small group of people allowed to see him
Crucial to maintaining secrecy is the decision to limit access to an extremely small group of people. In addition to his wife and children, this group includes Jean Todt and former Ferrari drivers Gerhard Berger and Luca Badoer.
Completely excluded, from the immediate aftermath of the accident onwards, was Willi Weber, Schumacher’s long-time manager during the early part of his career. A couple of years ago, Elisabetta Gregoraci, former partner of Flavio Briatore, gave some information about Schumacher’s condition after previously receiving first-hand updates.
Laila Hasanovic, now the partner of Jannik Sinner, was previously Mick Schumacher’s girlfriend and in the past was able to see Michael as well. However, none of these people have ever disclosed anything publicly, just like the staff who care for him. Doctors, physiotherapists and nurses have all signed non-disclosure agreements and strictly respect them.
The villas in Switzerland and Mallorca are inaccessible
Schumacher’s residences, both the villa in Switzerland and the one in Mallorca, are virtually inaccessible, also thanks to anti-drone surveillance systems. The Spanish villa, purchased from Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, is also equipped with a helipad.
Transport arrangements have always been highly secured as well, such as when Schumacher was transferred to hospital under a false name for a medical procedure, supported by a private security service that helped maintain his privacy.
Despite all these precautions, risks have not been entirely eliminated. One need only think of the theft of Schumacher’s medical file in 2014 during his transfer from Grenoble to Switzerland, when a man attempted to sell it for 50,000 euros. He was arrested and later took his own life in prison.
A couple of years later, a member of staff secretly took a photograph of the legendary driver and tried to sell it for one million pounds. The individual was reported to the authorities and the image was never published. An attempted blackmail failed, fortunately. Last February, he received a three-year prison sentence.
How Michael Schumacher is today, 12 years after the accident
Obviously, no one can provide a precise answer regarding the health condition of the former German legend. Michael Schumacher lives at home, surrounded by the affection of his family. This constant support is matched by the continuous presence of doctors and nurses who take care of him every day.
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