Ten years ago, when the world learned about Michael Schumacher's severe injuries from his skiing accident, Norbert Haug was taken aback. Haug, who knew Schumacher as a calculated and careful skier, was surprised that such a high-profile incident was in the news. As the Head of Motorsport at Mercedes at the time, Haug had worked with Schumacher during his sensational return to Formula 1 in 2010. Despite not winning another race after 91 in 1991, Schumacher's development work for Mercedes played a significant role in the subsequent era of success with Lewis Hamilton.
A year after Schumacher's last Formula 1 race, he suffered a skiing accident in the French Alps, leaving him with a severe traumatic brain injury. Norbert Haug, who was skiing in Austria at the time, was one of many concerned about Schumacher's well-being. When he returned from skiing, he saw the accident news on TV, expressing disbelief that Schumacher's fame was causing the prominence of the news rather than the severity of his injuries.
Despite Schumacher's hiatus from racing, his impact on the sport continued. His development work for Mercedes laid the foundation for an unprecedented era of success for Lewis Hamilton, his successor. However, details on Schumacher's current health condition remain private, as the family and their legal representative, Felix Damm, have chosen to protect the former racing driver's privacy.
Norbert Haug shared that Schumacher, though not the same person, has remained "simply not the Michael he used to be" ten years after the accident. This insight suggests that Schumacher's health has significantly deteriorated, but the exact nature of this change remains obscure. The world continues to follow updates on Schumacher's recovery, a stark reminder that even highly skilled athletes like racers face dangers beyond the track.
References:
[1] "Michael Schumacher skis: what we know about latest skiing incident of the retired Formula 1 star."
[3] "Latest on Michael Schumacher: Family 'considers releasing statement' on F1 legend's health 10 years on."
