Michael Schumacher may never fully recover from his tragic 2013 skiing accident, his brother Ralf admits, insisting ‘life is unfair’ as he reflects on the ‘day that changed our family’
- December 29 marks ten years since Michael Schumacher suffered a tragic ski injury
- The Formula 1 legend has not been seen in public since the accident in France
- Now Ralf Schumacher has hinted that his brother may never fully recover
Ralf Schumacher has hinted that his brother Michael may never fully recover from the mysterious skiing accident the F1 legend suffered a decade ago, after admitting that ‘nothing is the way it was’ despite high-tech medical treatments.
The seven-time Formula 1 champion suffered serious head injuries on December 29, 2013 while skiing in the French resort of Meribel.
Schumacher, who was wearing a helmet, was put into an induced coma and underwent several operations.
Since then, his family has rigorously withheld information about his condition.
But now his brother Ralf has admitted that ‘things are not the way they used to be.’
Ralf Schumacher (right) has hinted that his brother Michael (left) may never fully recover from the tragic head injury he suffered while skiing in the French resort of Meribel in 2013
Michael Schumacher has not been seen in public since the serious accident ten years ago
The former F1 driver admitted: ‘I miss the Michael of the past. Life is unfair from time to time.
Ex-Formula 1 star Ralf Schumacher admits his brother Michael was like a ‘coach and mentor’ when the couple were growing up
‘Michael has been very lucky all his life. But then there was that tragic accident.’
The 48-year-old entrepreneur and expert added: ‘Fortunately, advanced medical science offers many opportunities. However, nothing is as it was anymore.’
Ralf, who won six F1 Grand Prix, emphasized that Michael was more than just his older brother.
He told local media: ‘Michael was not just my brother. When we were kids, he was also my coach and mentor. He literally taught me everything about kart racing.’
Ralf said: ‘There may be a seven year age difference, but he was always by my side. We raced together, we practiced overtaking maneuvers and everything that matters in motorsport.’
The former Jordan and Williams driver underlined: “He passed on all the different things that he had already internalized. I had the honor of learning from the best.”
Reflecting on how the Schumachers dealt with Michael’s devastating skiing accident, Ralf said: “It has been an important experience for me, but of course even more so for his children.”
Schumacher and his wife Corinna pictured during a skiing holiday in northern Italy in 2005
Ralf concluded: ‘Life is sometimes unfair. That day brought a lot of bad luck. This fate has changed our family.”
Ralf was married to former model and television presenter Cora Schumacher for fourteen years. They divorced in February 2015.
Their 22-year-old son David participates in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) racing series.