Formula One legend Michael Schumacher has reportedly made his first appearance in public since his near-fatal skiing accident in 2013. Schumacher’s family has guarded all news related to him strictly secret since the accident and hardly any of the people he knew in the sport during his prolific career have met him since.
However, reports in European media said that Schumacher could have been in attendance for his daughter’s wedding in Mallorca, Spain, making this the first time that the Ferrari great made a public appearance in over a decade. According to German newspaper Bild, Schumacher was “quite possibly” present at the family’s villa to bless the union of his daughter Gina-Maria and Iain Bethke. However, it’s unlikely he would have appeared at the estate’s sprawling garden where guests apart from close family members were present.
It is further reported that the guests were asked to submit their phones so that photos may not be leaked of the event, according to multiple reports. Despite this, photos of the gathering in the garden were leaked in the media and while Schumacher’s brother, former Formula One driver Ralf Schumacher, could be seen among the guests, Michael himself was absent.
While the family has guarded any kind of news of Schumacher, there have been some leaks and even a few on-record statements about the former Benetton, Ferrari and Mercedes driver. Over the years, news that has come about Schumacher’s health has stated that he is paralysed and in a wheelchair, cannot speak and has memory problems. Former F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel, who is closer to Schumacher and the family, had revealed that he was “not doing well”.
Considered one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time and one of the greatest icons the sport has ever produced, Schumacher won seven world titles between 1994 and 2004 which was the most for any driver until Lewis Hamilton equaled it in 2020. At the time of his retirement, Schumacher held the records for most wins (91), pole positions (68), and podium finishes (155), while he maintains the record for most fastest laps (77), among others. Schumacher won his first two titles driving for Benetton in 1994 and 1995.
In 1996, he joined a struggling Ferrari. While he lost out on the title in the final race of the 1997 and 1998 seasons, Schumacher and Ferrari then dominated the sport for five seasons between 2000 and 2004, winning five consecutive drivers’ championships. Schumacher first retired in 2006 before returning to race for Mercedes between 2010 and 2012. Apart from his achievements on the track, Schumacher is credited with increasing the popularity of Formula 1 and motorsport as a whole.
