Michael Schumacher's current condition, what we know, missing hard drive and photos leak

Michael Schumacher has not been seen in public since he suffered life-changing head injuries in a skiing accident in 2013, with his condition fiercely protected by his family

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More than a year has passed since Michael Schumacher, the Formula 1 legend, made global headlines via reports that he had been seen in public for the first time in over a decade. Schumacher, now 56, was reportedly spotted at his daughter Gina Maria's wedding at their family villa in Majorca in September 2024, in what would have marked his first public appearance in 11 years.

German media claimed he was present in person to witness the joyous occasion, and indicated guests were required to leave their mobile phones at the door to prevent any unauthorised photos of the Formula 1 icon being taken. However, these reports were later dismissed as 'fake news' by those close to the Schumacher family.

Despite this, the frenzy they ignited not only highlighted the enduring affection for Schumacher worldwide but also the ongoing intrigue surrounding his condition, which has been closely guarded by his inner circle since the accident that altered his life close to 12 years ago.

In December 2013, the seven-time F1 world champion was skiing in the French Alps when he suffered a fall and hit his head on a rock, resulting in severe head injuries as his helmet was split in two by the impact. After being rushed to hospital, he was placed in a medically induced coma for several months, before returning to his family home on Lake Geneva the following year.

Since the accident, he has required constant medical care from his wife Corinna and a team of healthcare professionals. Understandably, details about his condition have been kept tightly under wraps by those close to him, with only a select few understood to be allowed to visit.

No significant information about his health has been made public. Despite this, many have attempted to gain insight into the legendary driver's condition, leading to his family being targeted by numerous rumours, stories, and shocking blackmail attempts in the years following his accident. To separate fact from fiction, here's what we know about Schumacher's current situation.

Schumacher's condition

In terms of Schumacher's condition, there have been recent reports that offer some optimism, suggesting his health may be improving ten years after his life-altering accident, though these reports are said to be off the mark. These include the alleged sighting of him at his daughter's wedding, while a claim that he signed a helmet for racing legend Jackie Stewart for a charity event earlier this year was also proven to be inaccurate.

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It later came to light that the helmet was signed with the assistance of his wife Corinna. Recent updates from close friends suggest that Schumacher is still unable to communicate verbally and remains largely bedridden.

In June, Schumacher's former F1 boss Flavio Briatore reminisced: "If I close my eyes, I see him smiling after a victory. I prefer to remember him like that rather than him just lying on a bed. Corinna and I talk often, though."

Earlier this year, German broadcaster Felix Görner, another friend of Schumacher's, revealed the sad reality that the F1 legend is "dependent on caregivers", adding: "He is a person... who can no longer express himself through language. It's a very sad state of affairs. He was actually a hero, an indestructible hero. We're just clinging to hope, to a straw. But he's simply not well, so we won't see him again."

German media reported in 2023 that Schumacher receives round-the-clock care from a team of up to 15 people. A court heard earlier this year that he was "partly helpless, in need of care and visibly marked" by his injuries, with leaked images reportedly showing him in a hospital bed and wheelchair, as well as attached to medical equipment.

The mystery of the missing hard drive

Schumacher's family have fiercely protected his privacy, but found themselves being targeted in a horrifying £12 million blackmail plot which led to three men being convicted over the crime in February this year. Nightclub bouncer Yilmaz Tozturkan, 53, was sentenced to three years in prison after threatening the Schumacher family by demanding they pay him £12m to prevent him from leaking 900 personal photos, nearly 600 videos and confidential medical records to the dark web.

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Markus Fritsche, also 53, worked for a security company hired to guard the Schumachers' family home, and faced allegations of conspiring to steal the photographs and medical records from a computer before handing them on to Tozturkan. Fritsche received a two-year suspended sentence after proceedings at Wuppertal district court, whilst Tozturkan's son Daniel Lins - an IT specialist - was given a six-month suspended sentence.

After the sentencing, the Schumachers' lawyer Thilo Damm confirmed the family's plans to appeal the sentences. He argued the punishments were too lenient for what he called the "ultimate betrayal". He said: "We do not agree with everything the court said. You can rest assured that we will exhaust all legal possibilities at our disposal."

Worringly, Mr Damm also disclosed that a hard drive remained unaccounted for, despite extensive searches of the defendants' homes, with another potential threat to Schumacher and his family still possible. "We don't know where the missing hard drive is," he said. "I don't have a crystal ball but there is the possibility of another threat through the backdoor."

Those closest to Schumacher

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To maintain secrecy around his health, only a tight-knit group of trusted relatives and mates have been permitted to see Schumacher and learn the private details of his condition since his crash. In a report by The Telegraph, Flavio Briatore's ex-wife Elisabetta Gregoraci revealed: "Michael doesn't speak, he communicates with his eyes". She added that: "Only three people can visit him and I know who they are."

The trio allowed to visit Schumacher are believed to be Jean Todt and Ross Brawn, Ferrari chiefs during Schumacher's time with the team, as well as former driver Gerhard Berger. Also part of Schumacher's close-knit circle is his manager Sabine Kehm, a German journalist who has been working for the racing legend's family for more than a quarter of a century. She now handles his affairs and is privy to the details of his condition, which she has helped keep under wraps from the public eye.

In 2016, Kehm pledged to safeguard Schumacher's privacy. "Michael's health is not a public issue, and so we will continue to make no comment in that regard," she said in a statement. "We have to protect his intimate sphere. Legally seen and in the longer term, every statement related to his health would diminish the extent of his intimate sphere."

Separately, in a 2021 Netflix documentary about Schumacher, his wife Corinna emphasised the need to keep her husband's condition private. "We're trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives," she said.

"It's very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible. Michael always protected us, and now we are protecting Michael."