Today marks 12 years since Michael Schumacher suffered a devastating skiing accident in the French Alps. The Formula 1 legend has remained out of the public eye since, with his condition shrouded in secrecy.
Schumacher hit his head on a rock while skiing off-piste and was airlifted to hospital. He was placed in a medically-induced coma for months before being moved to his family home on Lake Geneva, where he receives round-the-clock care from up to 15 medical staff. Reports indicate he is bedridden and unable to speak, communicating only through his eyes.
Elisabetta Gregoraci, former partner of ex-F1 boss Flavio Briatore, disclosed that only three people are allowed to visit him. She said: 'Michael doesn't speak, he communicates with his eyes. Only three people can visit him and I know who they are. They moved to Spain and his wife has set up a hospital in that house.'
Former Ferrari chief Jean Todt offered a rare update in 2023, stating: 'Michael is here, so I don't miss him. [But 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.' Finnish neurosurgeon Dr Jussi Posti added: 'Based on the information available, I don't think he leads a very active life.'
Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm has maintained strict privacy, saying: 'Michael's health is not a public issue.' His wife Corinna explained: 'We're trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does. Michael always protected us, and now we are protecting Michael.'
Earlier this year, a former nightclub bouncer, Yilmaz T., was sentenced to three years in prison for attempting to extort £12million from the family by threatening to publish 900 photographs, 600 videos and medical documents of Schumacher on the dark web. A missing hard drive continues to pose a threat, with barrister Thilo Damm warning: 'We don't know where the missing hard drive is... There is the possibility of another threat through the back door.'
