I watched F1 quite a bit in the late 90's at my grandma's house because she had cable. I started to get bored with it though as every race was just Michael Schumacher gaining 2 seconds every lap and eventually lapping people early on.
Eventually I got my own place and cable. I had to work on weekends though and the few times I didn't I was too drunk to remember the F1 race schedule. Ended up getting a Tivo box and started recording them. But the quality was horrid. Thought it was the Tivo. Managed to catch a race re-run at night and even without the Tivo box the quality was bad. Apparently in the early 2000's they switched from analog to digital or something. Or at least Time Warner cable had something screwed up.
Hadn't thought of F1 since then until a few weeks ago when I discovered the free "F1 Channel" that is now included on most streaming platforms. So been playing catch up lately.
But anyway, back to Michael. He retired in 2006. But came out of retirement for the 2010–2012 seasons but was not the same and he did poorly.
Then just a year after that retirement, he fell skiing and hit his head. Still alive, but never heard from again. He is apparently in a wheelchair and "cannot communicate".
Man heavyMichael's family, and in particular his devoted wife Corinna Schumacher, have worked diligently to protect the 55-year-old racing star's privacy and dignity - with only a handful of trusted loved ones said to be permitted to visit him.
Updates about his health are few and far between, although it's believed Michael's recent wedding appearance could signify that the Schumachers are beginning to lower their protective walls of steel.
Over the years, those who've visited Michael have remarked upon how he's changed, detailing how he's still able to express his thoughts, albeit in a different way.
In September 2020, it was reported that Schumacher had been spending more time in Majorca. Elisabetta Gregoraci, the ex-wife of former F1 team boss Flavio Briarote, was quoted in Spanish press saying: "Michael doesn't speak, he communicates with his eyes. Only three people can visit him and I know who they are." On the Italian version of Big Brother, the brunette added, in comments echoed by Spanish press: "They moved to Spain and his wife has set up a hospital in that house."
Close relatives reportedly also spoke with the French magazine Paris Match ahead of his 50th birthday in January 2019. The magazine quoted one as saying: "When you put him in his wheelchair facing the beautiful panorama of the mountains overlooking the lake, Michael sometimes cries."
When the crash happened, Schumacher's helmet absorbed much of the force, but the severity of the impact cracked the shell and fractured his skull, leading to a brain injury. He was quickly transported to hospital by air ambulance and medics carried out two life-saving surgeries to reduce pressure on the brain.
At the time, it was confirmed that the star was fighting for his life and was in critical condition. It wasn't until April 2014 that the family released their next statement, in which they said Schumacher had shown 'moments of consciousness and awakening'. The following summer, it was confirmed that Schumacher was out of the coma and was moved to a rehabilitation facility before returning home to his family.
