Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher had an accident ten years ago that completely changed his life. A fall while skiing in the French Alps left him with a traumatic brain injury that kept him from being seen in public.

Since then, his condition has been shrouded in mystery. Few details are known about the seven-time F1 world champion's recovery and rehabilitation.

An unfortunate trip into the open field

At the end of 2013, Schumacher spent his holidays with family and friends in Méribel, France. As an experienced skier, he owned a lodge in the area and knew the slopes there. This visit is part of the tradition of celebrating “Schumi's” birthday in the mountains which falls on January 3.

On December 29, 2013, at about eleven o'clock, Schumacher went off the piste to help other skiers. On this unkempt section, he hit an exposed rock, lost control of his skis, and then hit another rock headfirst. The impact broke his helmet in half.

The German was initially conscious but disoriented. He was flown first to hospital in Moutiers and then to the trauma department in Grenoble. The condition of the injured victim was critical upon arrival at the hospital. He was in a coma and immediately underwent brain surgery to reduce swelling and provide oxygen.

The hospital's deputy director, Professor Marc Penaud, described his condition as “very serious” at the time and highlighted uncertainty over Schumacher's future. “After the accident, the patient was unresponsive and showed abnormal neurological reactions,” added neurosurgeon Stéphan Chabardes.

The famous athlete's life hangs in the balance. He suffered severe bleeding on the brain and bruising, requiring him to be placed in an induced coma. His life was saved by his helmet. Lead anesthetist Jean-Francois Payen stated that without a helmet, Schumacher would not have survived the impact of his head on a rock.

During this critical time, Schumacher was surrounded by family. Close friends and colleagues rushed to his bedside. Among them were Jean Todt, his former boss at Ferrari and later president of the FIA, and Gerard Saillant, a renowned brain surgeon. He has been a friend of Schumacher's since the Ferrari pilot crashed during an F1 race at Silverstone in 1999.

Fight, Michael!

When Schumacher's life took a drastic turn, words of support poured in. The hashtag #KeepFightingMichael became their symbol on social networks.

The German's arch rival, Mika Häkkinen, shared a touching message: “Your accident is now just another challenge. You have to fight hard again, just like we both did on the track. Do me a favor: don't try to beat the current time. You don't must enter this race at your best time. You must take as much time as you need.”

Even Sebastian Vettel, four-time F1 world champion and Schumacher's protégé, did not hide his surprise. I am shocked and I hope he recovers as soon as possible. “I wish his family much strength,” the German pilot said at the time.

This unfortunate event also received a response outside Formula 1. At that time German Chancellor Angela Merkel and sports stars such as Boris Becker and Lukas Podolski sent their messages.

A fake priest enters

However, the media attention at the Grenoble hospital was overwhelming for Schumacher's wife Corinna as she struggled with intrusive photographers and reporters.

Apparently, this is also the reason the family declared a strict embargo on all information regarding “Schumi's” health condition from the start. This is an understandable reaction and no one has the right to criticize it. However, fans are hungry for information, so unverified sensational news or short statements from those who had the opportunity to meet the former F1 star are often distorted.

Amid the media frenzy, those closest to “Schumi” tried to support his longtime press secretary Sabine Kehmová, brother Ralf, and father Rolf. A German tabloid journalist did a very strange “trick”. He sneaks into the hospital disguised as a priest and unsuccessfully tries to break into Schumacher's hospital room.

Respected doctor Saillant called for respect and privacy in his address to the media: “On behalf of Corinna, I would like to ask you not to pressure us,” he said. “Neither to us, nor to the family. You can try to help Schumacher win this difficult fight by leaving the doctors alone. We have nothing to hide.”

Regarding Schumacher's recovery, Kehm reported in April 2014 that he was showing signs of “awareness and awakening”. In June, he was no longer in a coma and left the hospital in Grenoble. “Michael left [nemocnici] Grenoble will continue its long rehabilitation phase. “He's no longer in a coma,” he said at the time.

Leave him alone

However, Schumacher's condition is still a secret topic. In 2016, after a German magazine falsely claimed that Schumacher could walk, Kehm denied everything.

“Unfortunately, we are forced to clarify based on recent press reports that claims that Michael may be moving again are not true,” it said. “Such speculation is irresponsible because given the seriousness of his injuries, Michael's privacy is of the utmost importance. Unfortunately, it also provides false hope for many people involved.”

On 3 January 2019, Schumacher's fiftieth birthday, the family released a statement thanking his supporters. However, there is no further news regarding his health. “We want to commemorate and celebrate his wins, records and joy,” the statement said.

Todt's friend and confidante summed up the mood of recent years: “Leave him alone.”
“We respect Corinna and her children's desire for privacy, although of course we know the accident has consequences. But anyone who claims to know something knows nothing. I see him often. He and his family are my family,” he said in beginning. This year.

“Life is different now.

Last year brought some touching moments. The F1 champion received the award for his “outstanding contribution to the world” from the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The ceremony, which took place not far from Schumacher's birthplace, was attended by his wife Corinna, daughter Gina and Todt, who accepted the award on behalf of Michael.

At the ceremony, the former Ferrari boss shared details of his current relationship with Schumacher. “I will not leave him alone,” Todt told RTL television. “Him, Corinna and the whole family. We've been through a lot together. The beautiful things we've experienced are part of us and they continue to be.” He revealed that they often watched races together on TV and reminisced about their past victories.

Recently, in an interview with French newspaper L'Equipe, Todt said about Schumacher's health: “(He) is not the Michael he used to be. He is different and well led by a wife and children who protect him. His life is different now and “I had the honor of sharing a moment with him. That's all I can say about him. Unfortunately, fate befell him ten years ago. He is no longer the Michael we knew in Formula 1,” said the French manager. .

The 2021 Netflix documentary “Schumacher” looks back on the driver's life before the crash. It features Corinna and her son Mick. The wife of the famous rider spoke about their current life and emphasized the unity and determination of the family: “Michael is here,” she said. “He's different, but he's here, and I think that gives us strength. We're together. We stay home together. We go to therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and feel good.”

Mick Schumacher, who witnessed the unfortunate crash and completed 43 Grands Prix in Haas cars, expressed his deep admiration for his father: “I have the utmost respect for my father. I always have. He's just like that. When he walks into a room, everyone goes silent . So I remember him.”

Regarding the family's decision to keep it private, family attorney Felix Damm explained: “This is always about protecting personal information. The media can pick up on stories like this over and over again and ask, 'And what is it like now?' “One, two, three months or years after the report. And then if we want to take action on that reporting, we have to face the argument that we've said something voluntarily before.”

In other words: by respecting privacy, fans and everyone else honor not only Michael Schumacher's legacy, but also the courage and tenacity of a family united in the face of adversity.