MICHAEL SCHUMACHER - 9 YEARS AFTER

Today marks nine years since the tragic incident in the French Alps involving Michael Schumacher. The seven-time F1 champion suffered serious head injuries while skiing, from which he has not yet recovered.

In December 2013, Schumacher had been retired for over a year and was enjoying a well-deserved vacation with his family. On that unfortunate day, the German was on holiday in the Maribel ski resort.

Micheal fell on the descent, hitting his head on a rock. The helmet split in two, partially cushioning the impact, Schumacher was aware after the crash. He was transported by helicopter to the hospital, where severe head injuries were diagnosed.

He was urgently operated on, and in the first official statements his condition was marked only as "critical". Several more operations followed, and he was in an artificially induced coma. It wasn't until June 2014 that Schumacher woke up from his coma and left the hospital to continue his rehabilitation at home.

Since then, almost nothing is known about Michael Schumacher's condition. The driver's family requests that the right to privacy be respected. Certain friends visit him periodically, but say almost nothing publicly about his condition.

In 2016, Jean Todt, then president of the FIA, revealed that he had watched the race with Michael and expressed hope that one day they would come together for an event.

In December 2019, Corina Schumacher, Michael's wife, made an encouraging statement: "Big things start with small steps. From very small elements a huge mosaic can be formed. Together we are stronger."

The next time Corinna spoke about her husband was in a Netflix documentary released in the fall of 2021:

"Everyone misses Michael, but Michael is with us. He is different, but with us. He shows me every day so far how strong he is."

"We try to continue to live as a family the way Michael loved and continues to love. We live together at home."

"We're doing therapy and doing everything to make Michael feel better and comfortable. We're living our lives."

"Michael always said, "A private life is a private life.""

"It's very important to me that he continues to enjoy his privacy as much as possible. Michael has always protected us, and now we protect Michael."