Michael Schumacher’s former F1 boss shares tragic update
A notorious F1 kingpin previously thought to be outside the Schumacher family circle of trust has shared a tragic insight into Michael Schumacher’s condition.
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Michael Schumacher’s former boss has given rare insight into the F1 legend’s condition — 12 years after his life-changing skiing accident.
While the German racing icon, now 56, hasn’t been seen in public since 2013, his ex-manager at Benetton Flavio Briatore now says he speaks often with Schumacher’s family.
Briatore is a notorious figure in Formula 1 and was given a lifetime ban from the sport — which was later overturned in a French court — as the leading figure in F1’s infamous “crashgate” scandal.
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Briatore, who is now top dog at the Alpine F1 team, was previously thought to be outside the Schumacher family’s circle of trust.
However, his latest comments appear to show he has intimate knowledge about Schumacher’s condition, The Sun reports.
The 75-year-old appeared to confirm to an Italian newspaper that Schumacher is bed-bound, amid scarce details of his condition due to his wife Corinna’s commitment to privacy.
He told Corriere della Sera: “If I close my eyes I see him smiling after a victory.
“I prefer to remember him like that rather than him just lying on a bed. Corinna and I talk often, though.”
Briatore’s update follows a claim by his ex-wife Elisabetta Gregoraci, who said: “Michael doesn’t speak, he communicates with his eyes.
“Only three people can visit him and I know who they are.”
Claims that Schumacher can no longer speak were echoed by his son Mick in a 2021 Netflix documentary about his father’s life.
The 26-year-old driver said: “I think dad and me, we would understand each other now in a different way now.”
In the 2021 documentary, Corinna gave a rare update, revealing Schumacher is still
undergoing rehabilitation and is “different, but here” following his life-changing injuries.
The seven-time F1 world champion has not been seen in public since he suffered a serious head injury after a skiing accident in December 2013.
Corinna has spent the years since creating a private world around Michael as he continues his recovery.
Schumacher’s condition has remained a secret across the last decade but there have been a number of promising signs of recovery recently.
In April, Schumacher signed a charity helmet with help from Corinna.
The helmet will be auctioned to raise money for Stewart’s charity Race Against Dementia.
Johnny Herbert, Schumacher’s teammate at Benetton between 1994 to 1995, described the signature as an “emotional” moment.
He told FastSlots: “It’s wonderful news that Michael Schumacher signed Jackie Stewart’s helmet. It was a wonderful moment.
“We haven’t seen something emotional like this in years, and hopefully, it’s a sign.
“Hopefully, Michael is on the mend. It’s been a long, horrible journey for the family, and maybe we’ll hopefully see him in the F1 paddock soon.”
Schumacher was also rumoured to have made heart warming trip to meet his first granddaughter in April.
The legendary Formula One driver flew from his family’s villa in Majorca to their Swiss mansion in a chopper to join his daughter before the birth.
Schumacher’s daughter Gina, 28, became a mother for the first time on March 29 making her parents Michael and Corinna grandparents.
Schumacher is one of the most successful F1 drivers of all time, winning world titles in 1994, 1995 and five consecutive years from 2000 to 2004.
He also racked up 71 fastest laps and 155 podiums during his racing career.
When asked who the greatest driver of all time is, Briatore told Corriere de Sera: “I don’t know who the greatest is, because we’ve had Schumacher, Senna, Alonso.
“Now, the number one is definitely (Max) Verstappen. I have two cars at Alpine, so I would like to have two Verstappens.”
Briatore took control of the Alpine F1 team just days after Australian driver Jack Doohan was demoted last month.
— This story originally appeared on The Sun and has been republished with permission
Originally published as Michael Schumacher’s former F1 boss shares tragic update
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