12 years of silence…the anniversary of Schumacher’s tragic accident

Yesterday, Monday, December 29, marked the 12th anniversary of the tragic accident that changed the life of Formula 1 World Championship legend, Michael Schumacher, born in Kerpen in 1969, when he suffered a serious head injury while skiing at the Meribel resort in France.

Schumacher underwent surgery three days after the accident at Grenoble University Hospital, and on the following January 2, his press agent, Sabine Kim, decided to stop official medical updates due to the media frenzy surrounding the hospital. Since then, only a single update has been issued in July 2014 stating that the “Kaiser” had emerged from the coma and was transferred to Lausanne, then returned to his home on the shores of Lake Geneva to receive treatment at the hands of a specialized team, a situation that has not seen any significant change after 12 years.

A state of absolute secrecy prevails about the news of the seven-time world champion German champion, as statements are limited to a few close associates who were allowed to remain in contact with his narrow circle, such as Ross Brawn, his former engineer in the Benetton and Ferrari teams, Jean Todt, Bernie Ecclestone and Gerhard Berger, while his former business manager Willy Webber was constantly prevented from visiting him throughout this period.

In 2025, Richard Hopkins, former chief operating officer of the Red Bull team and former McLaren team director, gave his opinion on the current situation, noting that despite his good relationship with Schumacher, he did not have any recent news, explaining in an interview conducted with him only one month ago, “I know that he has a Finnish doctor and a personal doctor, but I do not think we will see Michael again.”

Hopkins expressed his feeling of discomfort when talking about Schumacher’s condition given the secrecy imposed by the family for good reasons, stressing that close visitors such as Jean Todt or Ross Brawn enjoy a high degree of respect and reserve, and will not reveal any details even in the most friendly moments.

Hopkins believes that the family’s wish is fair and respectful, pointing out that if no photo of Schumacher has appeared since 2012, it is unlikely that it will appear in the future. While doctors’ speculation indicates that Michael may have limited awareness and distinguish between those close to him, the general reality indicates his inability to speak or walk since the accident, which the former FIA president confirmed by saying, “This is not the Michael we knew.”

According to the website of the Spanish newspaper “Marca”, the year 2025 witnessed a notable event with the sale of a racing suit worn by Schumacher in the 2000 Hungarian race, in which he finished second, for more than 95,000 euros in an online auction. The auction included other pieces such as a suit from 1995 and a signed helmet from 2003, with a percentage of these sales allocated to the Cape Fighting Foundation, which was founded by the Schumacher family in 2017.

Rich Soddy, founder of The Schumacher Lounge, confirmed that a large portion of the proceeds will go to fund the care of the former champion in his equipped medical suite at home, expressing his happiness at the success of the auction in supporting this humanitarian cause.

In another symbolic gesture in April 2025, Sir Jackie Stewart auctioned off a helmet during the Bahrain Grand Prix, which included the signatures of all living world champions, with Schumacher among them. Stewart later revealed to the British newspaper “Daily Mail” that Schumacher’s wife, Corinna, helped her husband put his signature, as she held his hand to complete writing the initials of his name on the helmet, thus completing the collection of heroes’ signatures in a charitable work aimed at supporting dementia research, which reflects the continued association of the legend’s name with charitable initiatives despite his long absence from sight.