Michael Schumacher’s wife issues cryptic update ahead of sixth anniversary of tragic ski accident

Seven-time F1 world champion continues to be kept out of the public eye as he recovers from life-changing head injuries suffered in a skiing accident in 2013

Jack de Menezes
Thursday 26 December 2019 13:46 GMT
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Michael Schumacher in numbers

Michael Schumacher’s wife Corinna has called for the seven-time Formula One world champion’s fans to unite and remain strong ahead of the sixth anniversary of his tragic skiing accident.

The F1 legend suffered life-changing head injuries in a ski crash in Meribel on 29 December 2013 after striking his head on a rock, which resulted in a lengthy recovery process that has seen the German kept out of the public eye to aid his treatment.

The Schumacher family last issued an update on his health at the start of the year to honour his 50th birthday, but in a cryptic message issued to fans in his hometown of Kerpen, Corinna stressed how powerful their support can be in helping the motorsport great recover.

“Many small particles can form a huge mosaic,” said Corinna. “Together you are stronger, and that is exactly how combined forces of the KeepFighting movement make it easier to encourage others.”

A new social media page titled ‘KeepFightingMichael’ will be launched on Sunday by Schumacher’s fan club in Kerpen, which marks six years to the day that Schumacher suffered the head trauma while skiing with his son, Mick.

The fan club has also confirmed that it will use the #KeepFighting message to gain interest on social media, with the family’s foundation of the same name raising money to support victims of similar accidents and research into brain and spinal cord injuries.

“Unfortunately, the time has come again, the sixth anniversary of Michael's accident is coming around,” said Reiner Ferling, chairman of Schumacher’s fan club in his hometown.

“Six years full of hope that Michael will one day go out in public again.

“We know that Michael is in good hands, that he gets love, security and confidence. Michael can count himself lucky to have such a strong family behind him.

“As a fan club, we will provide all kinds of support that we can provide.”

While Schumacher has been kept out of the public eye since his accident, his son Mick is forging his own motor racing career and will continue in Formula Two next season, just one step down from F1, having been signed up to the Ferrari Driver Academy in January this year with a view to following in the footsteps of his father.

The younger Schumacher got behind the wheel of a modern F1 for the first time in April this year after completing a test in Bahrain, while he also had the chance to drive Michael’s world championship-winning Ferrari F2004 in a demonstration at Hockenheim during this year’s German Grand Prix weekend.

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