Corinna Schumacher said her husband Michael Schumacher is “different, but he’s here” in an upcoming Netflix documentary.
The Formula 1 great suffered a severe head injury in a 2013 skiing accident. Schumacher hit his head on a rock while skiing with his son Mick and suffered a brain injury. He was in a medically induced coma for nearly six months after the accident and hasn’t been seen in public since.
The Schumacher family has been incredibly private about his condition in the years since the accident and Corinna’s comments about his health status are part of a documentary premiering Sept. 15 titled “Schumacher.”
In it, she said her husband does therapy and that they were trying to keep their lives as private as possible. The fact that she even addressed Schumacher’s status is noteworthy given how close to the vest the family has kept updates about his condition. From ESPN:
“We’re together. We live together at home. We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he’s comfortable. And to simply make him feel our family, our bond.
“And no matter what, I will do everything I can. We all will. We’re trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives.
“‘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. “Michael always protected us, and now we are protecting Michael.”
Schumacher is widely considered one of the best Formula 1 racers of all time. He won seven championships from 1994-2004 and totaled 91 wins and 68 poles over his 19-year career. He drove for Jordan, Benetton and Ferrari from 1991-2006 before stepping away from F1. He returned in 2010 with Mercedes and drove for the team for three seasons before officially retiring from the series.
His final season with the team immediately preceded Lewis Hamilton’s arrival. Hamilton came to Mercedes in 2013 and the driver and team have become the dominant force in the series. Hamilton passed Schumacher’s career record for F1 wins in 2020 and is a win away from his 100th. The two drivers are also tied with seven titles.
Mick Schumacher, meanwhile, is currently in his F1 rookie season. He drives for backmarker Haas F1 after winning the 2020 F2 championship.