- Gina wrote: ‘Happy Birthday Papa! throwback to one in every of a lot of our adventures’
Michael Schumacher’s youngsters Mick and Gina wished their father blissful birthday with touching messages as he turned 55, days after the tenth anniversary of his tragic ski accident.
The seven-time F1 champion suffered large head accidents following a crash whereas snowboarding within the French resort of Meribel on December 29, 2013.
Schumacher, whose helmet took the impression as he struck his head on a rock, was positioned into a man-made coma and underwent a variety of operations.
His household have intently guarded particulars of his situation and Michael hasn’t been seen in public because the accident.
Gina, 26, wrote on Instagram: ‘Happy Birthday Papa! throwback to one in every of a lot of our adventures’.
Michael Schumacher’s household have intently guarded particulars of his situation within the 10 years since and he hasn’t been seen in public because the accident
Gina Schumacher wrote on Instagram: ‘Happy Birthday Papa! throwback to one in every of a lot of our adventures’
Mick Schumacher wrote: ‘Happy birthday to the very best Dad ever. Love you!’
The put up was accompanied by a picture of her and her brother as youngsters with the Formula One legend.
Mick, 24, wrote: ‘Happy birthday to the very best Dad ever. Love you!’
The message confirmed a photograph of them each carrying helmets, with a younger Mick smiling and holding his thumb up as Michael appears to be like lovingly in the direction of him.
Schumacher’s ex-Formula One crew Mercedes additionally posted a birthday message urging him to ‘maintain combating’.
The official Mercedes account wrote on X, previously Twitter: ‘Happy Birthday, Michael. Today marks the @F1 legend’s fifty fifth birthday. #KeepFightingMichael.’
The put up included {a photograph} of the racing icon celebrating in Mercedes gear in entrance of one in every of his former vehicles.
The official Mercedes account wrote on X, previously Twitter: ‘Happy Birthday, Michael. Today marks the @F1 legend’s fifty fifth birthday. #KeepFightingMichael’
Fans had been fast to put up feedback wishing him effectively.
One wrote: ‘The man who made me fall in love with F1. Happy birthday, legend!’
Another posted: ‘Greatest of all time. I hope he’s doing effectively.’
Someone else commented: ‘Keep Fighting Legend!’
Michael’s youthful brother Ralf, 48, who was additionally an F1 driver, instructed German newspaper Bild final week that ‘nothing is like earlier than’.
He added: ‘I miss my Michael from again then. Life is usually unfair. Michael had been fortunate many instances in his life, however then the tragic accident occurred.
‘Fortunately, fashionable drugs has made it attainable to do some issues.’
Ralf, who gained six F1 Grands Prix, emphasised that Michael had been extra than simply his older brother.
He instructed Bild: ‘Michael wasn’t solely my brother. When we had been youngsters, he was additionally my coach and mentor. He taught me actually all the things about kart racing.
Ralf Schumacher (proper) has stated that his brother Michael (left) has been helped by fashionable drugs after his tragic snowboarding accident 10 years in the past
Ralf (left) and Michael (proper) share the rostrum after the French Grand Prix again in 2003
‘There could also be an age hole of seven years, however he was all the time by my aspect. We raced collectively, we practised overtaking manoeuvres and all the things that issues in motorsports.’
The former Jordan and Williams driver stated: ‘He handed on all of the various things he had already internalised. I had the honour to study from the very best.’
Discussing how the Schumachers have handled Michael’s devastating snowboarding crash, Ralf stated: ‘It has been a major expertise for me however, after all, much more so for his youngsters.’
He concluded: ‘Life is unfair at instances. That day held a whole lot of unhealthy luck. This destiny has modified our household.’
Schumacher’s one-time rival Damon Hill final week described the German’s plight as a ‘horrible tragedy’ and a reminder to ‘treasure day by day’ forward of the tenth anniversary of his accident.
Schumacher has been stored out of public view ever since, with solely a handful of tourists allowed contained in the household house close to Lake Geneva in Switzerland the place he’s receiving round the clock medical care.
The former Ferrari and Benetton driver claimed the primary of his seven world championships following a controversial season finale in Adelaide in 1994 the place he was accused of ramming Hill off the highway.
Reflecting on Schumacher’s situation, Hill, 63, stated: ‘It is a horrible tragedy. This shouldn’t be the way you need anybody to finish up.
‘It makes you treasure day by day and be glad about your luck. I take into consideration his household. It is so onerous for them.’
Updates on Schumacher’s well being have been few and much between.
His spouse Corinna, provided a uncommon perception on her husband’s state in a Netflix documentary in 2021.
‘I miss Michael day by day,’ stated Corinna, who has enforced a wall of secrecy to guard one of many greatest names in fashionable sporting instances.
‘But it’s not simply me who misses him. It’s the kids, the household, his father, everybody round him. I imply, all people misses Michael, however Michael is right here.
‘Different, however he is right here, and that provides us energy. We’re collectively. We dwell collectively at house.
Michael Schumacher’s outdated rival Damon Hill (proper) has described the star’s plight as a ‘tragedy’
The pundit mirrored on Schumacher’s situation forward of the 10-year anniversary of the accident
During his embellished tenure as a driver for Benetton, Mercedes, and Ferrari, Schumacher gained seven world championships
‘We do remedy. We do all the things we will to make Michael higher and to verify he is snug. And to easily make him really feel our household, our bond.
“Private is private”, as he all the time stated. It’s essential to me that he can proceed to get pleasure from his non-public life as a lot as attainable. Michael all the time protected us and now we’re defending Michael.’
Schumacher added to the 2 titles he gained at Benetton with 5 championship triumphs for Ferrari on the flip of the century, posting a collection of information many considered as untouchable.
Lewis Hamilton has since matched Schumacher’s assortment of titles and surpassed his 91 wins. Hamilton, 38, who’s contracted to drive for Mercedes till the top of 2025, has 103 victories.
Sebastian Vettel has additionally revealed the emotional final dialog he had with Schumacher, shortly earlier than the snowboarding accident.
Vettel had a powerful skilled relationship along with his fellow German driver, sharing the Formula 1 grid between 2010 and 2012, and teaming as much as win their nation six Race of Champions Nations’ Cups in a row between 2007 and 2012.
As effectively as their careers, additionally they spoke about private issues, to the purpose the place Vettel stated racing ‘was now not the largest factor we had in frequent’, up till Schumacher’s crash within the French Alps.
He stated: ‘Yes, after all, I solely want him the very best. But it is nonetheless fairly often a subject I take into consideration privately and I take into consideration quite a bit and that’s undoubtedly a recurring theme.’
The four-time F1 title winner revealed that his ultimate speak with Schumacher centered on private issues, together with the extension of Vettel’s household.
Sebastian Vettel revealed the emotional final dialog he had with Michael Schumacher
The pair had been skilled colleagues and buddies away from the observe earlier than the accident
Portrait of Michael Schumacher earlier than the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix on the Sepang Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, Malayasia on March 17, 2002
He stated: ‘Of course, the primary ideas instantly went to the final dialog we had collectively and that could not be extra constructive. I instructed him that I used to be going to be a father and what was coming for us.
‘And I believe I actually appreciated it in the direction of the top in that sense, the place our relationship grew to become stronger and stronger earlier than the accident.
‘Because I believe we each obtained to know one another an increasing number of and racing was now not the largest factor we had in frequent, however life typically and life with and round racing.
‘And I simply miss my good friend.’
Vettel stated that he felt Schumacher would have been ‘extraordinarily necessary’ in his life in recent times, offering solutions to his many questions, and provoking him alongside the best way – however acknowledged it’s ‘rather more troublesome’ for his household.