It’s been 12 years since Michael Schumacher suffered his tragic skiing accident with his family, friends and Formula 1 fans left devastated by his health battle
10:04, 29 Dec 2025
Mick Schumacher paid tribute to his father on his birthday(Image: Getty Images)
Mick Schumacher shared a heart-warming tribute to his iconic father on his birthday.
It was on January 3rd last year on Michael Schumacher’s 55th birthday where both Mick and older his sister Gina expressed their affection for their father on social media. The seven-time world champion, who is now 56, has not been seen in public since he suffered a life-changing skiing accident in December 2013, 12 years ago. The German suffered serious head injuries after hitting his head on a rock in the French Alps, which led to him being placed in a medically induced coma.
Updates on his condition have been minimal throughout the decade, with his wife Corinna remaining steadfast in her mission to maintain the privacy of her family. However, it is known that the German great requires around-the-clock care from his wife and medical staff.
It has been 12 years since the German’s tragic skiing accident(Image: Formula 1 / Netflix)
Despite the scarcity of information that has been revealed about Schumacher’s health, his two children paid tribute to him on Instagram last year. Mick, who previously raced in F1 for two years with Haas and now participates in the IndyCar Series, posted a childhood photo of himself with his father on Instagram.
In the picture, they are both wearing racing helmets, and Mick captioned the post: “Happy birthday to the best Dad ever. Love you!” Gina, Schumacher’s eldest child, also used the platform to share a photo of herself, her brother, and their father smiling. Her caption read: “Happy Birthday Papa! throwback to one of many of our adventures.”
During the peak of his illustrious F1 career, Schumacher secured a record five consecutive championships with Ferrari between 2000 and 2004. Jean Todt, the team’s former principal, developed a strong bond with the German throughout their partnership, and the 79-year-old remains among a very small group of people permitted to visit him.
Mick Schumacher took to Instagram to post a photo of himself and his father(Image: mickschumacher / Instagram)Corinna Schumacher only allows a handful of people to visit the F1 icon(Image: Pool Interagences, Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
In a recent interview with Italian publication La Repubblica discussing Schumacher’s condition, the Frenchman stated: “The family has decided not to answer the question [about Schumacher’s health], a choice that I respect. I see him regularly and with affection, him and his family. Our bond goes beyond the past work.
“It is part of my life which today is very far from Formula 1.” Last year, Todt disclosed that the German is “no longer” the same individual who dominated the circuit in F1. “Michael is here, so I don’t miss him,” Todt said. “He is different and is wonderfully guided by his wife and children who protect him.
“His life is different now and I have the privilege of sharing moments with him. That’s all there is to say. Unfortunately, fate struck him ten years ago. He is no longer the Michael we knew in Formula 1.” Todt is understood to be among nine individuals granted access to Schumacher, with that restricted list being managed by Corinna.
Gina Schumacher posted an old photo with her dad and brother(Image: Instagram/Gina Schumacher)
Richard Hopkins, previously head of operations at Red Bull, formed a friendship with Schumacher during their time in the sport, and the Briton outlined the visiting protocols established by Corinna for seeing the racing legend at his Lake Geneva residence.
In a conversation with SPORTbible, Hopkins stated: “I think it’s fairly clear. There are only two, three, four people that we know of. There are probably others. Michael had friendships with people who weren’t owners of Formula One teams or racing drivers.
“So I’m sure there are people who probably see him that we just don’t know about, because we don’t know their names. But there are fairly strict rules, and we don’t talk about those rules.
“I’m not going to try and visit Michael, because I know that’s not going to happen, and I’m one of thousands in that position of knowing it’s not possible. If you’re Jean Todt, your friendship is at the point where that’s okay. I don’t think there’s a written rule or a list of names. It’s just one of those known things.”
