New Michael Schumacher revelations from close friend – Michael Schumacher was hailed the greatest Formula One driver ever when he claimed his record seventh drivers world championship in 2004. He remains the only driver in F1 history to win five consecutive titles 2000-04 before he retired from the sport at the end of the 2006 season.

Ferrari lost their competitive edge due to rule changes and so the former ace decided the time was right for him to step back from front line racing. He became an advisor to Ferrari and effectively Jean Todts number two in the team structure as he oversaw the Ferrari development programme at the Jerez circuit. He focused on testing electronics and tyres for the 2008 season.

Yet as is often the case with F1 champions, Michael felt he had unfinished business in the sport and was persuaded by the newly acquired Mercedes team to return alongside Nico Rosberg as one of their drivers in 2010.

 

 

 

Schumacher F1 return a flop

Yet unlike with Fernando Alonso, Schumacher’s return demonstrated a deterioration of his once highly honed skills as he struggled to beat his inexperienced team mate. In all three seasons together, Rosberg finished ahead of Schumacher in the drivers’ championship and in 2010 and 2012, Rosberg came close to scoring double the number of points of his more decorated team-mate. 

The overall tally of points for the two over this time ended 324 to 197 in Rosberg’s favour. Then in 2012 Lewis Hamilton dropped the first of his F1 racing bombshells announcing he was leaving his life long sponsor and F1powerhouse McLaren to replace Schumacher at the fledging Mercedes outfit.

Then on the fateful day that was 29 December 2013, Schumacher was skiing with his son Mick – 14 years of age at the time – descending the Combe de Saulire above Meribel in the French Alps when he fell and hit his head on a rock. Despite wearing a protective helmet, Michael was knocked unconscious and then airlifted to a hospital in Grenoble.

Such was the damage to Schumacher’s brain he was placed into a medically induced coma where he remained until reports emerged in April of 2014 he had regained consciousness. Over the past decade Michael has been fiercely guarded by his family, with few outside a close knit circle allowed to visit him.

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Herbert rubbishes fake Schumacher news

The F1 champion now 55 has not been seen in public now in more than ten years although from time to time questionable reports emerge on his condition. The close guarding of Michael’s private appeared to have been relaxed recently following reports he had attended the wedding of his daughter, Gina Maria at the family’s £27m villa in Majorca.

Guests were allegedly told to leave their phones at the gatehouse to ensure Michael was not photographed. Now a close friend of the seven times world champion casts doubts on the reports as fellow ex-F1 driver and Le Mans winner Johnny Herbert has labelled them as ‘fake news.’

Speaking to Flashcore, Herbert said: “It will always be a closed shop. The most recent rumour was he attended his daughter’s wedding. Unfortunately, from what I understand that was all A1 fake news and no truth in it.”

When Schumacher emerged from his coma, his wife Corinna had arranged for a full hospital facility to be built at their Geneva based home to receive Michael once he was discharged from hospital. This is where Michael has remained with the odd report emerging which suggests he has taken a trip, though these have never been verified.

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Neurosurgeon adds weight to Schumacher reports

Neurosurgeon Jussi Posti has also now claimed the reports of Michael’s trip to majorca are highly likely to be untrue. His condition as a bed ridden patient would mean it would be difficult for him to travel for the following reasons.

“If a hospital has been built in his house, with everything medicalised around him, it seems that he has been in hospital most of the time,” Posti said speaking to Iltalehti.

“Based on the information available, I don’t think he leads a very active life. Everything points to him being unwell. As bedridden patients, most people become so frail and stiff that it is no longer possible to get them out of bed after so many years.”

Back in 2014 fellow former racing driver and close friend of the family, Philippe Streiff revealed that Michael was paralysed and used a wheelchair. He shared: “He is getting better but everything is relative. It’s very difficult. He can’t speak. Like me, he is in a wheelchair paralysed. He has memory problems and speech problems.”

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Attempted blackmail this year

The medical opinion at that time was that Michael would not recover to anything like his former self due to the prognosis revealed by the Nero specialist who first treated him.

Whilst the family have guarded closely any access to Michael they came under threat this summer from a father and son who attempted to blackmail the family. The suggested they had sensitive pictures of Michael and would release them to the public unless the were paid millions.

Unfortunately, even some of the close family have found themselves estranged as Ralf, Micheal’s younger brother who also raced in F1, revealed his grief at losing contact with Corinna.

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Ralf rues loss of family contact

“When I see his children Gina-Maria and Mick, my heart smiles. If someone in the family is looking for my advice, I’m there. They go their own way,” he told German publication Bunte.

“I miss the Michael of the old days. Life is unfair from time to time. Michael was very lucky throughout his life. But then there was this tragic accident. Michael wasn’t only my brother. When we were kids, he was also my coach and mentor. He taught me literally everything about kart racing.”

Ralf was reported however to have attended his nieces recent wedding in Majorca and recently came out as gay following a divorce from his wife of fifteen years.

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MORE F1 NEWS – Mario Andretti denies speculation surrounding his son

Two years on from the FIA launching its application process for new competitors to join Formula One, General Motors has been approved to race from 2026 onwards. The FIA approved the Andretti Global application over a year ago, but it failed to gain approval from the Liberty media Formula One Management (FOM).

In the statement it said: “Our assessment process has established that the presence of an 11th team would not, on its own, provide value to the championship. The most significant way in which a new entrant would bring value is by being competitive. We do not believe that the applicant would be a competitive participant.”

Yet almost twelve months later FOM have done an about turn allowing the Andretti based organisation to compete from 2026. So what happened to change their minds?…. READ MORE