Michael Schumacher’s brother Ralf has admitted that ‘nothing is like how it used to be’ since the F1 legend was seriously injured in a skiing accident a decade ago. Schumacher has not been seen in public since the incident, which took place while he was skiing off-piste in the French Alps during a family holiday.
Very little is known about Schumacher’s current condition, with his family keeping most things under wraps in order to protect his privacy. His brother Ralf, who raced alongside him in F1, has offered a rare insight into the situation by revealing that Schumacher’s accident was a life-changing experience for him as well.
Speaking to German outlet Bild, he said: “I miss my Michael from back then. Life is sometimes unfair. Michael had often been lucky in his life, but then came this tragic accident. Thank goodness we were able to do a lot thanks to modern medical possibilities, but still nothing is like it used to be.
“I can say for myself that his accident was a very bad and drastic experience for me too. Michael wasn’t only my brother. When we were kids, he was also my coach and mentor. He taught me literally everything about kart racing. There may be an age gap of seven years, but he was always by my side.”
Ralf went on to discuss the impact of Schumacher’s near-fatal crash on his children, saying: “It has been a significant experience for me but, of course, even more so for his children. Life is unfair at times. That day held a lot of bad luck. This fate has changed our family.”
Schumacher’s family have declined to reveal any specific details about his condition, which remains largely unknown 10 years on from his skiing accident in the French resort of Meribel. Roger Benoit, a veteran F1 journalist and close friend of the seven-time champion, previously claimed that he was ‘a case without hope’ due to the severity of his injuries.
Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert later described the situation as ‘horrible’ before revealing that Schumacher was ‘not close’ to his former self following his accident. He told Grosvenor Sport: “There’s never any news. What we do know is we never hear any positive news.
“That’s the horrible thought that he is still not able to be close to the Michael that we all remember, and that is very sad.”
Herbert also expressed his view that Schumacher would have made a good pundit after retiring from F1, saying: “He would have been outspoken. He was always very aware of what you can and can’t do. His character was always in your face, telling you directly if you had done something to him on the track. He would have been very good.”
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