Michael Schumacher's close friend issues heartbreaking nine-word health update on F1 icon

Wales Online

06-06-2025

Michael Schumacher's close friend issues heartbreaking nine-word health update on F1 icon
The legendary driver's condition has been kept secret since he suffered life-changing injuries in a skiing accident in 2013
Schumacher suffered life-changing injuries in a skiing accident in 2013
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A "very, very close" confidant of Michael Schumacher has issued a heartbreaking update on the Formula One legend's health.
The seven-time world champion suffered life-changing injuries when he fell and hit his head on a rock while skiing in the French Alps in December 2013, with the incident seeing him placed in a medically induced coma for several months. While he was able to return to his family home on Lake Geneva the following year, Schumacher now requires round-the-clock medical care.
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Now 56 years old, the F1 icon's condition has been kept under wraps ever since the accident, with his wife Corinna fiercely protective of his privacy.
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However, some individuals close to the family have given occasional insights into how Schumacher is today, with long-time Formula One journalist Craig Scarborough revealing one such update from someone believed to be extremely close to the situation.
Scarborough, who has covered the sport for around 25 years, told The Sun that he had spoken with a "very, very close" confidant of the German driver, who told him that "we're not going to hear any more from him".
"I spoke to someone who is very, very close to him," he told the newspaper. "They just explained we're not going to hear any more from him.
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"He's in a comfortable position as far as he can be with his state of health."
Scarborough's update comes days after former Benetton chief Flavio Briatore - who worked closely with Schumacher when he won his first two Formula One titles - also gave an insight into his friend's condition and appeared to confirm that he was now bed-bound.
"If I close my eyes, I see him smiling after a victory," Briatore told Corriere della Sera.
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"I prefer to remember him like that rather than him just lying on a bed. Corinna and I talk often, though."
Leading F1 reporter Felix Gorner, who is another close to Schumacher's family, revealed earlier this year that the legendary driver can no longer communicate verbally and admitted that "the situation is very sad".
"He needs constant care and is completely dependent on his caregivers," said Gorner. "He can no longer express himself verbally.
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"Currently, there's a maximum of 20 people who can approach Michael. And, in my opinion, it's the right strategy. Because the family is acting in Michael's best interests.
"They've always strictly protected his privacy, and that hasn't changed."
During a 2021 Netflix documentary about Schumacher's life, his son Mick - who has followed in his footsteps as an F1 driver - said he and his father "understand each other now in a different way," while Corinna said that her husband was "different, but here".