What is Michael Schumacher's current state of health?

Michael Schumacher's state of health has been shrouded in secrecy, but what is the former Formula One champion's current condition like?

The former German pilot suffered a serious blow to the head while skiing during his Christmas holidays in 2013 at the Meribel resort in the French Alps. An accident that left him in a coma for a year and caused irreversible brain damage.

Since then, Schumacher's family, led by his wife Corinna, has been forced to get rid of a good number of properties and assets to pay for the expensive treatments that the German champion has to face to continue living, with a 24-hour medical team that they have in their residences in Geneva and Mallorca.

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But what do we know about his current state of health?  The most relevant information came in 2021, from the Netflix documentary 'Schumacher', where they did give some details about how the F1 legend currently lives.

This is something that neurologist Erich Riederer corroborated and recognized in TMC in 2022 and to which he added that "he is breathing, his heart is beating, he can probably sit up and take small steps with help, but no more. I think that is the maximum for him. Is there any possibility of seeing him as he was before his accident? I really don't think so."

In the documentary, Corinna also adds: "Of course, I miss Michael every day, but it's not just me who misses him: the children, the family, his father, everyone who is close to him. "Everyone misses Michael, but Michael is here in a different way, but he is here and I think that makes us find strength."

Plus, Corinna added, "We're doing everything we can to make Michael better and make sure he's comfortable and just make him feel like he's with his family and continue our bond. No matter what happens, I'll do everything I can." "We're all going to do it."

"We are trying to continue as a family in the way that Michael would like and we are continuing with our lives. Private life is private life, that is what he has always said. It is very important to me that he can continue enjoying his private life as much as possible. Michael always protected us, now we are protecting him," concludes Corinna.

For his part, his son Mick Schumacher shared, "since the accident these experiences, these moments that I think many people have with their parents are no longer present... Or they are, but less so, and in my opinion. It's unfair."

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The last person to visit Michael Schumacher was Roger Benoit, a journalist and family friend, who recently visited him at his home in Geneva (Switzerland).

In an interview with the Swiss newspaper Blick in April 2024, Benoit assured that Schumacher's case is "a hopeless case", highlighting that "there is only one answer to that question and it is the one his son gave: 'I would give anything to talk with dad'." This sentence says everything about what his father has been doing for more than 3,500 days.

In January 2024, Johnny Herbert, Schumacher's former teammate in the Benetton team in his early days as a driver (1994-1995) said on 'Bettingsites': "I only hear second-hand fragments. I have heard he can sit at the table for dinner, but I don't know if that's true. I can only read between the lines."

"We haven't heard much from the family and that's understandable. That's always been a big part of the way Michael and the family kept everything private, secret," he added, lamenting that "I don't feel like the things have progressed in the way that many of us who knew Schumacher and many of his fans around the world want to see."

In that sense, the British also stressed, "we would all love to know that things are progressing positively. But since we do not have any information, we can only assume that it is not yet in a position where there is a chance of recovery."

"In my opinion, and I have to stress this because we haven't heard from the family, this shows that he is probably in the same situation that he was in immediately after the accident. I guess the family is waiting for science to find something that, hopefully, brings back the Michael we all knew," Herbert concluded.

For his part, the former president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), Jean Todt, who had the opportunity to visit him on several occasions, highlighted in the Daily Mail that "Michael is fighting, he is fighting and we can expect it to improve."

Todt also called for respect for his family's decision to live his situation in privacy: "I can understand why his family and friends protect him because we must leave them alone," he told the Daily Mail.

In another interview in the French newspaper L'Équipe, Todt also recalled that "Michael is here, so I don't miss him", although he stressed that "he is no longer the Michael he used to be, he is different. (…) Unfortunately, fate hit ten years ago, and he is no longer the Michael we knew in F1."

In this other interview, he praised the role of his family, ensuring that "his wife and children protect him" and making it clear that "the fans must know that he is in the best hands. In the best situation that can be and surrounded by the people who love him."

The secrecy regarding the state of health of the former F1 champion invites speculation that his state of health has not improved in all this time, or at least not what many would like, and it seems difficult that, after almost a decade, we can see him again on the tarmac. Let us know what you think in the comments!

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