Twelve years after a life-altering skiing accident upended the life of Formula One icon Michael Schumacher, a rare and significant health update has emerged.
For more than a decade, Schumacher’s condition has remained one of the sports world’s most closely guarded secrets, with his wife Corinna repeatedly stressing that “private is private” when it comes to his personal life.
Now, fresh details shared by people familiar with the situation have reignited public interest, while also sharply dividing opinion online, as many fans argue that the seven-time world champion’s privacy should be left untouched.
“I think we should all collectively agree to leave him alone now, Michael is a legend, and I think his privacy should be respected,” wrote one social media user.
After 12 years of secrecy surrounding Michael Schumacher’s health following a skiing accident, rare updates have emerged, strongly dividing the internet
Image credits: Ryosuke Yagi/Flickr
On December 29, 2013, Michael Schumacher suffered severe head injuries in a skiing accident at the Méribel resort in the French Alps.
At the time, he was reportedly skiing off-piste in an unsecured area between two marked runs with his 14-year-old son.
Multiple reports suggested that the Formula One legend, an experienced skier, veered off the official trail into an ungroomed area, where his skis struck a rock partially concealed beneath fresh snow.
The impact launched him forward, causing him to hit his head forcefully against another large rock.
Image credits: Clive Mason/Getty Images
His helmet reportedly split in two, though doctors later stated that wearing it likely saved his life.
Schumacher was airlifted to a local hospital with critical injuries before being transferred to a specialized trauma center in Grenoble.
He later underwent two emergency brain surgeries to reduce swelling and remove blood clots and was placed in a medically induced coma for 250 days.
Since then, Schumacher’s family has maintained strict confidentiality surrounding his health and private life, reportedly to honor his lifelong wish for privacy and protect his personal dignity.
The Formula One racing legend was placed in a medically induced coma after sustaining life-threatening brain injuries when he struck his head against a large rock
Image credits: fry_theonly/Flickr
According to a Daily Mail Sports report published on Saturday, January 24, Schumacher is currently residing with his family in a fortified mansion in Majorca, Spain.
The outlet’s motor racing writer, Jonathan McEvoy, reported that while Schumacher is presently in Majorca, the family’s “main residence” remains in Switzerland.
McEvoy said he personally traveled to Schumacher’s Majorca home, where he was met by a “professionally tight-lipped” security guard at the entrance.
While the guard declined to comment, McEvoy cited “several well-placed sources” who told him that the Formula One legend “is not bedridden,” according to the report.
Image credits: Alex Grimm/Bongarts/Getty Images
However, the journalist added that although Schumacher can reportedly sit up and is pushed in a wheelchair by his medical team, the 57-year-old is still unable to walk.
Addressing past claims that Schumacher communicates through eye movements or blinking, McEvoy said multiple insiders disputed those reports, stating, “You can’t be sure whether he understands everything because he cannot tell anyone.”
“The feeling is that he understands some of the things going on around him, but probably not all of them.”
While some fans expressed relief and offered prayers for Schumacher’s “recovery,” others emphasized the need to “respect his privacy,” with calls to “leave the family alone” surfacing across social media.
Journalist Jonathan McEvoy reportedly traveled to the Schumacher family’s Majorca residence in Spain to gather new information about Michael’s health
Image credits: gina_schumacher
One fan wrote, “I really want MS to be okay, but the truth is we will never know and quite frankly it’s no one’s business apart from his family. We need to respect his privacy.”
Another user commented, “The family are 100% private and wouldn’t and havnt put any new health reports out to the public.they want privacy and thats what they should get.”
Others voiced skepticism about Schumacher’s condition, with one writing, “What condition? Its always been secret, so how would anyone know what is going on!”
“Pics/footage of it never happened. And it’s never happening BTW,” another added.
Image credits: gina_schumacher
McEvoy also reported that “only a few visitors, perhaps three or four outside the family, are welcomed” at either of Schumacher’s residences.
Close friend and former Ferrari boss Jean Todt is among the select few permitted to visit, with McEvoy noting that the two “watch grands prix together.”
Schumacher’s wife, Corinna, has previously addressed the reason behind the family’s extremely low profile and the strict absence of photos or videos of Michael circulating online since the accident.
In the F1 racer’s self-titled Netflix documentary released in 2021, Corinna explained, “‘Private is private’, as he always said. It’s very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible.”
While McEvoy did point to a glimmer of hope for Schumacher’s fans, he emphasized that Michael still remains in a severe condition and continues to require round-the-clock medical care
Image credits: gina_schumacher
“Michael always protected us and now we are protecting Michael.”
Despite the family’s repeated pleas for privacy, reports emerged last year that three men, Schumacher’s former bodyguard Markus Fritsche, a nightclub bouncer named Yilmaz Tozturkan, and his IT-savvy son, Daniel Lins, were prosecuted for allegedly attempting to blackmail the Schumacher family.
The trio reportedly threatened to leak more than 1,500 private files, including medical records related to Michael’s condition, on the dark web.
Image credits: ph-stop/Flickr
In February 2025, Fritsche received a two-year suspended sentence and a fine, Tozturkan was sentenced to three years in prison but was reportedly released on €10,000 bail, while Lins received a six-month suspended sentence and a fine.
Just weeks before the latest health update, Schumacher marked his 57th birthday on January 3.
To mark the occasion, his daughter Gina-Maria shared a rare family photograph on social media.
The image, taken before Schumacher’s skiing accident, featured the entire family and was accompanied by the caption, “The best forever. Happy birthday papa.”
“It appears that his quality of life is virtually zero and each day must be a nightmare that he can’t wake up from…” one sympathetic fan wrote
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