As we approach the tail end of 2023, December will mark a decade since arguably the greatest F1 driver in history suffered a life-changing brain injury. We take an in-depth look at Michael Schumacher 10 years on, exactly what happened and why his family have sought to shun the press from their private life.
Michael Schumacher F1 Titles and Record
It is difficult to surmise just how big a phenomenon Michael Schumacher was at the height of his driving career – not just in the world of Formula 1, but also as a global sporting hero.
Until the arrival of Lewis Hamilton, Schumacher held all-time records for pole positions, podium finishes and overall wins, and remains level with the Englishman with a record seven World Drivers’ Championships.
From edging the late, great Aryton Senna on the grass at the 1993 Belgian Grand Prix, to breaking down in tears after surpassing the Brazilian’s overall wins record in Italy seven years later, Schumacher’s career is a rich tapestry of iconic F1 moments.
After breaking Juan Manuel Fangio’s all-time record of five World Drivers’ titles in 2003, Schumacher’s 148-point season the following year set an astonishing new record. He claimed 12 wins across his first 13 races in 2004, and only needed one more across the next five to lift a record seventh World title.
Of his 19-year long career at the highest level of motorsports, he finished outside the top three on just seven occasions.
His enduring legacy for fitness conditioning ushered in a new era for the sport and its drivers, while his habit of rule-bending and pushing the status quo beyond limits has changed F1’s complexion for the better.
Michael Schumacher Net Worth
At the height of his Championship winning spree, Schumacher is said to have earned around £60 million across a two-year span at Ferrari. According to Forbes‘ report from 2004, the German was the second highest-paid athlete in the world, behind only to Tiger Woods who is the second-highest earner is sports, according to Statista.
Although his salary with the Italians was the highest ever seen in F1 at the time, his infectious bravado and personability off the track saw the biggest brands in the world clambering for marketing opportunities.
The likes of Shell are reported to have paid him as much as $10 million-a-year to don their logo on his hat, while his overall endorsements are said to have seen him pocket around $50 million annually – even in his post-driving days.
Celebrity Net Worth estimate his current fortune to be around $600 million, and with overall career earning in excess of $1 billion, it places him firmly among the top 10 highest-paid athletes of all-time.
That places him above the likes of NBA’s Kobe Bryant and boxing‘s Mike Tyson.
What Happened to Michael Schumacher in the 2013 Skiing Accident?
The 29th December this year will mark 10 years since Michael Schumacher’s life changed irreversibly.
Little over a year after confirming his retirement from F1 for a second time, the seven-time champion was enjoying a skiing trip with his then-teenage son Mick Schumacher, who has followed in the footsteps of his father after competing with Ferrari in 2021 and 2022. He is now a reserve driver for Mercedes.
Whilst crossing over a craggy off-piste section in the French Alps, Schumacher fell and struck his head on a rock. In the process, he sustained a traumatic bran injury despite wearing a ski helmet, which physicians say almost certainly saved his life upon impact.
After undergoing multiple surgeries, doctors took the decision to place Schumacher in a medically induced coma – a state he remained in for almost four months until promising signs of fleeting consciousness allowed them to gradually withdraw him from the coma.
After returning to his family home little under a year after the accident, reports in the Telegraph claimed he was left paralysed, with his ability to speak also severely affected.
His wife Corinna Schumacher addressed the public in July 2022 upon accepting the prestigious State Prize of North-Rhine-Westphalia. She said: “We try to carry on a family as Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives. ‘Private is private’, as he always said.
“It is 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.”
Indeed, Corinna and the Schumacher family have managed to suppress the noise surrounding his condition, despite many attempts from publications to claim they have ‘exclusive’ updates from people close to him.
The worst case of fabricating stories about Schumacher came in April of this year, when German women’s magazine, Die Aktuelle published a “first interview” with Schumacher since the accident.
It was later revealed that the quotes used by the publication had been generated by artificial intelligence. The editor responsible was subsequently removed from their role and the Schumacher’s family announced they intend to take legal action.
Michael Schumacher Health Update
Michael Schumacher has not been seen in public since the accident, almost a decade ago. Little is known about the true nature of his current condition given the family maintain strict privacy.
The public have been drip fed snippets of information about his condition, with the former F1 champion believed to be conscious and able to watch the sport on television from his home.
In September 2019, he is believed to have undergone an anti-inflammatory stem cell perfusion at a specialist hospital in Paris – medical staff stated that Schumacher was “conscious.”
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