How Michael Schumacher manages to communicate after skiing accident that almost killed him

 

Seven-time Formula One Champion Michael Schumacher communicates in a different way following his accident

Joshua Nair

Joshua Nair

The way that racing legend Michael Schumacher communicates following his near-fatal skiing accident has been revealed.

When you speak about legends in Formula One, Schumacher has to be in the conversation having won the joint-most Drivers’ Championships at seven, which is only matched by Lewis Hamilton.

Best known for his time at Ferrari, he also holds the record of most consecutive title wins at five, from 2000-2004 – the German was a true trailblazer for the sport.

Having retired in 2006 before making a return in 2010 and calling it a day in 2012, Schumacher suffered a horrific injury just one year after ending his career.

Schumacher trailer
Credit: Netflix
0 seconds of 1 minute, 41 secondsVolume 90%

 

While on a skiing holiday with his family in 2013, Schumacher was making his way down the French Alps with his son Mick, then 14, as the retired racing driver went across an off-piste area of the slope.

He then fell and hit his head on a boulder that was concealed from view by snowfall, which would have been fatal if he wasn’t wearing a helmet.

The then-44-year-old still suffered critical head injuries and was airlifted to hospital, where he was put in a medically-induced coma due to the traumatic brain injury he sustained, only leaving to go home nine months after the accident.

Ever since this incident, the former F1 champion has been completely out of the public eye, while a statement released the following year informed fans that he wasn’t in a coma anymore, and was instead ‘continuing a long phase of rehabilitation’, though little of his condition is known 11 years on.

His family have kept details of his health private, as updates have remained scarce.

Schumacher has stayed away from the public since his accident (Paul Gilham/Getty Images)

Schumacher has stayed away from the public since his accident (Paul Gilham/Getty Images)

Schumacher’s agent Sabine Kehm said the family was ‘forced’ to deny reports that the German could move again, and released a statement, saying that these claims were ‘not true’, adding: “Such speculation is irresponsible, because given the seriousness of his injuries, his privacy is very important.

“Unfortunately they also give false hopes to many involved people.”

Former Formula 1 Benetton team boss Flavio Briatore’s ex-wife, Elisabetta Gregoraci previously revealed how the ex-racer communicates without speaking: “Michael doesn’t speak, he communicates with his eyes,

“Only three people can visit him and I know who they are.

“They moved to Spain and his wife has set up a hospital in that house.”

It was reported in 2020 that Schumacher had been moved to the south-west of Majorca from his family’s previous Swiss home.

Even during his F1 career, the German was a huge fan of skiing (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Even during his F1 career, the German was a huge fan of skiing (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Speaking to L’Equipe, former Ferrari boss Jean Todt stated that the seven-time world champion was being ‘wonderfully guided by his wife and children who protect him’, adding: “His life is different now and I have the privilege of sharing moments with him. That’s all there is to say.”

In a 2021 Netflix documentary about his life, his son Mick said: “I think dad and me, we would understand each other now in a different way now.”

Featured Image Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images / JEAN-LOUP GAUTREAU/AFP

Topics: Michael SchumacherSportHealthCelebrityFormula 1

£150k of business support up for grabs via entrepreneurship scheme

£150k of business support up for grabs via entrepreneurship scheme

Successful applicants will receive investment, mentorship, and resources

The LADbible Team

The LADbible Team

Havas Media Network UK (HMN), one of the world’s largest media agencies has launched an exciting scheme designed to support budding business professionals from less advantaged and underrepresented groups.

The programme gives talented applicants the chance to win £150k of support in the form of investment, media value, mentorship, and resources.

This year, the exciting programme has relocated to Manchester to be closer to the local trailblazers and creatives HMN UK aspires to fund and support.

HMN UK first launched the programme in 2021 to support business owners from less advantaged communities.

The entrepreneurship scheme is part of a broader programme, Havas Boost, that Havas Media Network has expanded to cover three distinct areas:

Boost Business

Boost Business is designed to support two to three year old businesses founded by people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The business must be based in the North West of England and have a demonstrable purpose beyond profit.

HMN UK

HMN UK

HMN UK has refreshed the experience for entrepreneurs taking part in this year’s Boost Business programme.

Ten entrepreneur applicants will be invited to pitch their unique ideas in a judging chamber, think Dragon’s Den, during Global Entrepreneurship Week (18-25 November).

The Havas Boost board, chaired by chief growth officer Nick Wright, will choose the winner.

The deserving recipient will benefit from £150k of support in the form of investment, media value, and resource support.

Find out more.

Boost Talent

Boost Talent is designed to help young people from underrepresented groups to enter the media and advertising industry.

Fifteen successful candidates will be matched with experienced leaders in the media and advertising sector for a six-month mentorship programme.

You must be over 18, not in full-time education, and from a less advantaged background to apply.

Find out more.

Boost Charity

Set to launch in 2025, Boost Charity will provide advertising and media support to small charities in the North West of England.

HMN UK

HMN UK

The goal is to give causes and charities the tools needed to improve their marketing and communications – and in turn, spread the word.

Find out more.

“Around a fifth of the UK’s advertising workforce works out of London and sometimes it can feel the economy is similarly lopsided,” James Reddington, joint general manager at Havas Media Manchester, said.

“The advertising industry has a privileged position as a key growth driver of the whole UK economy, which means we have a responsibility to be the sea that lifts all boats. Our evolution and expansion of Havas Boost are part of our commitment to drive meaningful change within and outside our industry.”

To register your interest, please visit the HMN UK website.

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: Business

Real reason Michael Schumacher was ‘revealed’ as The Stig on Top Gear

Real reason Michael Schumacher was ‘revealed’ as The Stig on Top Gear

The legendary Formula One driver was revealed as The Stig, or so we thought at the time

Tom Earnshaw

Tom Earnshaw

While Jeremy Clarkson might have just revealed the true identity of The Stig, there was one moment in time where the entire world thought that title belonged to Ferrari’s legendary Formula One champion, Michael Schumacher.

It was a staggering 15 years ago now that Top Gear teased the idea of revealing the identity of the man behind the iconic white crash helmet.

With Top Gear on top of the world through its presenting trio Richard Hammond, James May, and Clarkson, The Stig had also firmly established within the British pop culture psyche. Just who exactly was the man behind the mask?

Michael Schumacher ‘revealed’ as The Stig
Credit: BBC
0 seconds of 1 minute, 39 secondsVolume 90%

 

Schumacher is The Stig, apparently

German racing superstar Michael Schumacher, now 55, was revealed as The Stig back in 2009, leaving viewers wide-eyed and opened mouthed at the idea that it had been him all along.

The revelation was made when The Stig was invited to be a guest for Top Gear’s iconic ‘star in a reasonably priced car’ segment, where Clarkson would interview a celebrity about car-related topics before watching a clip of them doing a lap of the Top Gear race track in a standard family car (Suzuki Liana, iconic).

Schumacher did a lap in the Liana but did not finish, with Clarkson saying he had ‘got lost’.

“I don’t think Michael Schumacher is The Stig,” Clarkson told the audience and viewers at home.

Moments before Schumacher was unmasked as The Stig (BBC)

Moments before Schumacher was unmasked as The Stig (BBC)

Why Schumacher was ‘revealed’ as The Stig

There are a few reasons Schumacher was revealed as the iconic man in white.

Then 40, Schumacher was not racing in any capacity after suffering a neck injury from a motorbike accident, so his schedule will have been pretty free.

In the months after the show, he almost returned to the Ferrari F1 team following an injury to then team racing driver Felipe Massa but this fell apart due to the German’s injury.

The ‘revelation’ was also the first episode of the nineteenth season of Top Gear, so it is accepted by some that it was an editorial decision to increase viewership and make the clip go viral in an age before going viral was really a thing. Top Gear was hot property and always looking to go bigger and better.

One source told the Guardian at the time: “It was a tongue-in-cheek piece which wasn’t meant to be taken seriously.

“The Stig is merely a character.”

The Stig 'unmasked' (BBC)

The Stig ‘unmasked’ (BBC)

Did Ferrari play a part?

Before Schumacher was revealed as The Stig, the man in white took a lap around the Top Gear test track in the £1 million rated Ferrari FXX.

After finishing the lap, the FXX recorded the fastest ever power lap time on the show’s test track, seven seconds quicker than the previous number one.

And the man who drove it? Yep, Schumacher himself.

Reports suggested that Ferrari trusted no one more than their own man who had won seven F1 titles with them over the span of a decade; a stance that no doubted influenced the creative juices at the BBC when it came to the entire ‘revelation’ segment that has gone down in British TV history.

The Stig back in 2009 on the Top Gear Live tour (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

The Stig back in 2009 on the Top Gear Live tour (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Who is the real Stig?

During a recent Q&A at his newly opened Cotswolds pub, Clarkson revealed the real men behind the black visor.

“The original Stig was Perry McCarthy, followed by Ben Collins, followed by Phil Keen,” he said.

“There isn’t a current Top Gear so there isn’t a current Stig, but the last one was Phil Keen.”

Keen, aged 40, is a racing driver and the most successful driver in British GT history, meaning he clearly has the talent to live up to the reputation of the fictional character.

Featured Image Credit: BBC / Hannah Peters / Getty Images

Topics: Michael SchumacherTop GearTVBBCCelebrityEntertainmentSportFormula 1

Sad update on Michael Schumacher’s recovery as today marks 10 years since life-changing accident

Sad update on Michael Schumacher’s recovery as today marks 10 years since life-changing accident

It has now been 10 years since Schumacher’s terrible accident

Joe Harker

Joe Harker

It has been 10 years since Formula One legend Michael Schumacher suffered a terrible accident while skiing which left him with life changing injuries.

On 29 December, 2013 Schumacher and his son had been skiing in the French Alps when he fell and hit his head, cracking his safety helmet.

Schumacher trailer
Credit: Netflix
0 seconds of 1 minute, 41 secondsVolume 90%

 

Schumacher was airlifted to hospital in Grenoble and placed in a medically induced coma, which he was later brought out of in 2014.

Since then he’s been recovering at his home with his family, who have kept details about his condition sparse.

A family lawyer had previously said that a health report about Schumacher’s condition was not made public in order to protect ‘private matters’.

10 years on from his accident details about Michael Schumacher's condition have been sparse.

Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Felix Damm said a final report was considered, but not released to the public as that would not have been the end of interest in his recovery, and there would have been subsequent request for updates anyway.

Friends and family have spoken about Schumacher’s condition from time to time following his accident.

In Netflix documentary Schumacher his wife Corrina said: “I mean, everybody misses Michael, but Michael is here.

“Different, but he’s here and that gives us strength, I find. We try to carry on a family as Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives.

“‘Private is private’, as he always said. It is very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible.”

His brother and former fellow F1 driver Ralf said he missed ‘the Michael of the old days’, and even though ‘nothing is like it used to be’ he did add that ‘advanced medical science provides many opportunities’.

Schumacher suffered life-changing injuries after he fell while skiing 10 years ago.

STR/AFP via Getty Images

Ralf said the accident had ‘changed’ the family, and said it had been a ‘significant experience’ for everyone but particularly Michael and Corrina’s children.

Michael’s son Mick, who has followed his father into motorsports, posted a tribute to his dad where he said he thought his father would understand him differently now he’s gone into racing.

Schumacher’s friend and former Ferrari boss Jean Todt is one of his regular visitors and said they had been able to watch F1 together.

“I don’t miss Michael, I see him. Yes, it’s true, I watch races with Michael. But sure, I guess what I miss is what we used to do together,” Todt said of his friend.

The full extent of the 54-year-old’s condition may not be entirely clear, but that information belongs to his closest family and friends.

Featured Image Credit: STR/AFP/Mark Thompson via Getty Images

Topics: Formula 1SportMichael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher made chilling foreshadowing in lead up to his horror ski accident

Michael Schumacher made chilling foreshadowing in lead up to his horror ski accident

It’s been over 10 years since the F1 legend’s horrendous accident

Joe Harker

Joe Harker

Today is Michael Schumacher’s 55th birthday and it has now been over 10 years since the Formula One legend suffered his horrific skiing accident.

Rushed to hospital and placed in a medically induced coma, Schumacher later came out of his coma and since then he has been recovering at his family home, with details about his condition not released to protect ‘private matters’.

Michael Schumacher ‘revealed’ as The Stig
Credit: BBC
0 seconds of 1 minute, 39 secondsVolume 90%

 

His family and friends have spoken a few times about his health in the past decade, with his wife Corrina saying they ‘try to carry on a family as Michael liked it and still does’.

Schumacher’s brother and fellow former F1 driver Ralf said that ‘nothing is like it used to be’, though he added that ‘advanced medical science provides many opportunities’.

His former Ferrari boss Jean Todt said that when he visited the Schumachers, which he did regularly, they would watch F1 together.

Today (3 January) is Michael Schumacher's 55th birthday.

Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Something Schumacher said before his accident turned out to be chillingly prescient.

Back when he was still racing, this time with the Mercedes team instead of the iconic Ferrari setup that he enjoyed so much success with, Schumacher made his will.

Speaking to a German magazine at the time, he explained it wasn’t because he had returned to the fast-paced and dangerous world of F1.

Instead Schumacher said it was ‘less about Formula One’ and instead ‘because of the things that can happen in everyday life’.

Considering he competed in such a dangerous sport for years where crashes do happen and lives can sometimes be lost, Schumacher was right to also be worried about what could happen away from the racing track.

A few years before his skiing accident Schumacher made a will 'because of the things that can happen in everyday life'.

VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via Getty Images

Schumacher is still well thought of by those who met him, with former Top Gear Stig Perry McCarthy praising the F1 legend’s sense of humour and his ‘real big heart’.

He demonstrated both by appearing on Top Gear and pretending to be the latest iteration of The Stig, including a comedy lap round the track where he got lost.

Fans of F1 will remember his incredible achievements on the track, winning seven world championships and plenty of races with Benneton and Ferrari.

Meanwhile, McCarthy also praised Schumacher for his charity work and suggested that had it not been for the ski accident he could have done something incredible in his capacity as a UNESCO ambassador.

He also said that what made Schumacher truly great was his ‘exceptional’ commitment to racing, as the seven time world champion had the dedication to stick with a team and build them into the best of the best.

Featured Image Credit: VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via Getty Images/Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *