A new Netflix documentary on Michael Schumacher's legendary Formula One career was released on Friday, October 2. The documentary, Schumacher '94 - The Birth of a Legend, covers the German icon's 1994 season with Benetton, in which he won his first Drivers' Championship title. It chronicles Schumacher's success but also the troubles and tragedies of the F1 season, including the death of Ayrton Senna at Imola.
However, the documentary does not cover Schumacher's 2013 skiing accident or his health today. The 57-year-old has stayed completely absent from public sight since the accident, with the full extent of his condition known solely to his immediate family and a select, trusted few.
What Happened in 2013
Schumacher suffered devastating head injuries after colliding with a rock while skiing in Meribel alongside his then-14-year-old son, Mick. He was placed in a medically induced coma and spent 250 days in hospital before being transferred to a private rehabilitation facility at the family home near Lake Geneva.
Since then, his wife Corinna and the rest of the Schumacher family have maintained an extraordinary wall of privacy around his condition. Remarkably little has been officially confirmed about his health, and a string of rumours and reports over the years has proven largely impossible to substantiate.
Recent Reports on His Condition
One of the most significant recent accounts emerged following a journalist's visit to the Schumacher family's estate in Mallorca. A Daily Mail report from the visit suggested that Schumacher is no longer confined to bed and is able to sit in a wheelchair and be moved around the estate. He is still believed to require round-the-clock care from a dedicated team of medical professionals and remains unable to walk unaided.
Those close to the family have also indicated that he retains some awareness of his surroundings, though the precise extent of his understanding remains unclear, as he is unable to communicate verbally. One source said: "He understands some of the things going on around him, but probably not all of them."
Family's Privacy Decision
Corinna has been the driving force behind the family's determination to shield Schumacher's private life from the public eye. She has spoken about him only rarely and has never provided a full picture of his current condition. In the 2021 Netflix documentary Schumacher, she explained the reasoning behind the family's decision to maintain such strict privacy.
"We're trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does," she said. "And we are getting on with our lives. It's very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible. Michael always protected us, and now we are protecting Michael."
The limited number of people permitted to visit Schumacher has also drawn attention in media reports. Former Ferrari boss Jean Todt, the team's legendary technical director Ross Brawn and former driver Gerhard Berger have all been named as being among the privileged few beyond Schumacher's immediate family circle allowed to see him.
Friends' Assessments
Todt has kept a particularly close bond with the Schumacher family and has spoken of visiting his former colleague regularly. Yet even he has refused to reveal significant details about his condition. "There's no longer the same communication as before," Todt previously said. "The family has decided not to answer the question [regarding Schumacher's condition], a choice that I respect. I see him regularly and with affection, him and his family. Our bond goes beyond the past work."
German broadcaster Felix Gorner, a friend of Schumacher's, offered one of the most sobering assessments of his circumstances. "He is a person dependent on caregivers, who can no longer express himself through language," he said. "It's a very sad state of affairs. He was actually a hero, an indestructible hero. We're just clinging to hope, to a straw. But he's simply not well, so we won't see him again."
Earlier reports have indicated that Schumacher receives around-the-clock care from a dedicated team of up to 15 people.
