He is among the most well-known sportspeople of all time.
But for the last decade, Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher, 55, has been virtually missing from public life.
His hiatus followed a life-changing skiing incident in 2013, which put him in a devastating coma.
A statement released nearly a year after the accident told fans he was no longer in a coma and was ‘continuing a long phase of rehabilitation’.
Now, as the father-of-two is spotted for the first time at his daughter’s Spanish wedding, fans are asking: what is the state of his health today?
Formula 1 legend Michael Schumer, 55, who suffered a life-changing skiing accident in 2013, was reportedly seen in public for the first time in over a decade at his daughter’s wedding in Spain
A file picture dated 11 January 2000 shows German the Formula One Ferrari driver Schumacher carving a turn while skiing at the Italian resort of Madonna di Campiglio, Italy
The last proper update fans received was in 2023, when it was reported that Schumacher had been driven in a Mercedes AMG sportscar in a bid to stimulate areas of his brain he once used for racing.
Former Farrari boss Jean Todt has spoken about his recovery several times since the accident.
In an interview with French magazine late last year he said: ‘Michael is here, so I don’t miss him. [But he] is simply not the Michael he used to be. He is different and is wonderfully guided by his wife and children who protect him.
‘His life is different now and I have the privilege of sharing moments with him.
‘That’s all there is to say. Unfortunately, fate struck him ten years ago. He is no longer the Michael we knew in Formula One.’
Rumours that Schumacher is unable to speak were backed up by his son, Mick, during a 2021 Netflix documentary about his father’s life. He said: ‘I think dad and me, we would understand each other now in a different way now.’
The effects of a traumatic brain injury depends on a number of factors such as the type, location and severity of injury, brain injury charity Headway says.
It adds that symptoms of a brain injury are wide-ranging, from physical effects such as balance problems, headaches, and dizziness, to cognitive, emotional and behavioural effects. This can include memory problems, fatigue, and anger.
On December 29, 2013, Schumacher’s life was swiftly altered by the tragic accident while on a family holiday in the French Alps.
He fell metres away from a popular ski slope that resulted in critical head injuries.
Deciding to go off-piste, Schumer was unaware of some boulders concealed from view by snowfall.
His skis clipped one such boulder and the sudden force catapulted him into the air — leaving him powerless to avoid a head-first collision with another rock.
He fractured his skull and was left with a brain injury.
Ski patrollers and a helicopter rescue team arrived at the scene within minutes, with eyewitnesses claiming Schumacher was conscious after the accident, but was unable to answer questions and was moving erratically.
Recognising the severity of the situation, the rescue team quickly immobilised him and transported him to the nearby Moutiers Hospital, where he arrived at 11.53am.
From there, a helicopter airlifted him to the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble, a leading medical facility equipped with a specialised neurosurgery unit, for two lifesaving surgeries to reduce pressure on the brain.
A later investigation deemed Schumacher was travelling at a normal speed and was not skiing beyond his abilities at the moment of his accident.
But it is thought his injuries — which would have almost certainly been fatal had the former driver not been wearing a helmet — were exacerbated by a February 2009 motorcycle accident in which he suffered fractures in his head and neck.
He then spent six months in a coma to aid his recovery and did not return to his family home in Switzerland until nine months after the accident.
Medical professionals and his wife are thought to provide round-the-clock care.
