Michael Schumacher at 55: A look into the life of the former F1 champion, ten years after the horrific skiing accident, his recovery and his family's fight for privacy

F1 icon Michael Schumacher was involved in a horrific skiing accident in 2013 and has not been seen in public since.

Schumacher's career included seven F1 world championships alongside a staggering string of records, and he is considered by many to be the greatest driver of all time.

Few have seen or visited Schumacher since he suffered his near-fatal brain injury, and reports of the German's condition are extremely rare.

The German is being cared for by a team of medical staff and his wife Corinna at their home on Lake Geneva, but little has been made public about his condition.

Mail Sport takes a look into the life of the former F1 champion, ten years after his horrific skiing accident.

The former seven-time F1 world champion is considered one of the greatest of all time

Skiing accident

The seven-time world champion was enjoying a family holiday just over a year after the final race of the 2012 Formula 1 season, in which he announced his second and final retirement.

The Schumacher family enjoyed a holiday in the famous Méribel ski resort in the French Alps.

Schumacher, 55, had hit the slopes with his then 14-year-old son Mick, and the pair had embarked on what appeared to be a routine ski excursion when disaster struck.

While descending the very popular Combe de Saulire route, Schumacher opted to go off-piste, entering a small patch of ungroomed powder between Piste Chamois and Piste Biche, surrounded by small rocks.

Unfortunately, the snowfall had obscured a number of boulders, turning the powder paradise into a minefield.

Schumacher's skis clipped one such boulder and the sudden force catapulted him into the air, leaving him powerless to avoid a head-on collision with another boulder.

The impact was devastating. Schumacher's helmet absorbed much of the force, but the severity of the accident caused the hard shell to crack and fracture Schumacher's skull, leading to a traumatic brain injury.

Ski patrols and a helicopter rescue team arrived on the scene within minutes, with eyewitnesses claiming Schumacher was conscious after the accident but could not answer questions and was moving erratically.

While descending the very popular Combe de Saulire route, Schumacher opted to go off-piste and enter a small patch of ungroomed powder between Piste Chamois and Piste Biche, littered with small rocks. Schumacher's skis clipped one such boulder and the sudden force catapulted him into the air, leaving him powerless to avoid a head-on collision with another boulder.

Michael's recovery

The rescue team quickly immobilized him and transported him to the nearby Moutiers Hospital, where he arrived at 11:53 am.

From there, a helicopter took him to the Center Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble, a leading medical facility equipped with a specialized neurosurgery unit, for two life-saving operations to reduce pressure on the brain.

Fortunately, the F1 legend survived both operations against the odds, but remained in critical condition for several weeks.

In April 2014, Schumacher was gradually brought out of the medically induced coma, a process that was completed in June 2014.

He then traveled to Lausanne University Hospital for continued rehabilitation, before leaving the institution in September for the Schumacher family's £50 million home in Gland, Switzerland, on the shores of Lake Geneva.

It is believed that Schumacher was conscious and talking immediately after the accident, but was unable to respond to questions and was moving erratically (Schumacher pictured in 2004)

His family's secret

The sporting world was quick to express their support after the accident, but his wife Corinna has insisted on secrecy about his condition.

The rule has been faithfully adhered to by Schumacher's loved ones, friends and wider entourage, who believe the racer and his immediate family deserve privacy to maintain his dignity.

Only a few trusted people are allowed access to his bed, amid strict security protocols.

But this is a price worth paying for Corinna and Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm, who said some clandestine attempts to see Michael were launched just days after his accident.

In one such attempt, a journalist dressed as a priest had tried to gain access to Schumacher's hospital room on the pretext of bestowing a blessing on the stricken racer.

“I never thought something like this could happen,” Kehm told Die Welt at the time.

A former Ferrari teammate of Schumacher shed further light on the situation and how Corinna keeps a close eye on who visits him.

Luca Badoer said via the Sun: 'Only a few people are allowed to visit. Corinna decides who can see him.

'The family wants to maintain some kind of secrecy about this and I respect their will.

Badoer – one of the people allowed to visit – added: 'They are all doing this for Michael's good.'

Schumacher lives and receives treatments at his £50 million mansion in Gland, Switzerland

Schumacher's wife Corinna (pictured with him in 2012) has insisted on secrecy about his condition to family and friends

What did the family say?

Ten years after his horror skiing accident, Michael Schumacher's wife is “continuing to live the life he would have wanted”, according to one of the Formula 1 legend's close friends.

Johnny Herbert, a former teammate of Schumacher, said: 'She (Corinna) has said that they are trying to continue as a family as Michael would have wanted.

“They move on with their lives, but private also means private.”

Herbert added: 'It would be lovely to have him back.'

Mick Schumacher follows in his father's footsteps

Michael and Corinna have two children: Mick and Gina.

The 24-year-old has built a career in motorsport and took his place at Mercedes as their main reserve driver last season.

The son of seven-time champion ended his four-year partnership as a Ferrari junior – after also losing his Haas seat to the returning Nico Hulkenberg.

Schumacher, 24, joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2019 and after winning the Formula 2 championship in 2020, he moved to the Haas team.

However, he had two disappointing seasons with the American team, failing to score a point in his first season, while being convincingly outpaced by his experienced teammate Kevin Magnussen in 2022.

He was also involved in a number of on-track incidents during his two seasons and was sometimes criticized by Haas team boss Guenther Steiner.

Michael's son, Mick, is currently in a relationship with Danish model Laila Hasanovic.

Mick Schumacher, 24, pictured next to his Danish model girlfriend Laila Hasanovic, 23,

The couple has shared many loved-up snaps on their social media accounts

Gina (centre) competes in equestrian competitions – and has won the FEI European Reining Championship

Hasanovic, 23, who has been dating Mick since August last year, was recently allowed to visit Michael after joining the inner circle, according to a Swedish newspaper.

According to the newspaper, there was a vote of confidence at the end of last year before the tenth anniversary of the accident.

As for his daughter, Gina, the 25-year-old chose to follow in the footsteps of Corinna, who was the European Western-style horse riding champion.

Gina regularly competes in equestrian competitions and has won the FEI European Reining Championship.