More than a decade after Michael Schumacher's tragic skiing accident, his wife Corinna has received an emotional health update from a close friend. Flavio Briatore, the former Benetton boss who helped Schumacher win two world titles, revealed that he and Corinna speak often about the Formula 1 legend's condition.
Briatore told Italian newspaper Corriere della Serra: "If I close my eyes, I see him smiling after a victory. I prefer to remember him like that rather than him just lying on a bed." Schumacher has not been seen in public since the accident in December 2013, which left him with a severe brain injury.
The 56-year-old suffered life-changing injuries when he hit a boulder while skiing off-piste in the French Alps. His helmet saved his life, but the impact cracked the shell and fractured his skull. He was placed in a medically induced coma and underwent two life-saving surgeries. In April 2014, his agent confirmed he had 'conscious moments', and by June he was back at his Swiss home under family care.
Former racing driver Philippe Streiff said in 2014 that Schumacher was paralysed and used a wheelchair, adding: "He can't speak. Like me, he is in a wheelchair paralysed. He has memory problems and speech problems." Ex-Ferrari boss Jean Todt credited Corinna for Schumacher's survival.
The family has fiercely guarded his privacy, recently fighting a blackmail trial involving ex-bodyguard Markus Fritsche. Fritsche was sentenced to two years in prison in February 2025 for attempting to extort £12m from the family using private photos, videos, and medical notes. His accomplice Yilmaz Tozturkan received three years, while Lins Tozturkan got a six-month suspended sentence.
