F1 legend Michael Schumacher’s health has been shrouded in mystery since his 2013 ski crash – but reports have claimed he’s still able to communicate in a heartbreaking way

The life of Michael Schumacher has been drastically altered since his terrifying ski accident, yet his current state remains largely unknown.

Reports over the years have revealed the sporting legend’s struggles, including claims that he tragically ‘can’t speak’ after the crash. However, surrounded by a supportive family, the ex-F1 champion has reportedly found a way to communicate with his loved ones without saying a word.

This week, the Schumacher family was thrust back into the limelight when the German driver is said to have attended his daughter Gina’s wedding in Majorca, marking his first ‘public appearance’ in 11 years. Michael’s family, especially his dedicated wife Corinna Schumacher, have made great efforts to safeguard the 55 year old racing star’s privacy and dignity, allowing only a select few trusted individuals to visit him.

Updates on his health are scarce, but it is speculated that Michael’s recent appearance at the wedding may indicate that the Schumachers are starting to lower their defensive barriers, reports the Mirror. Over time, those who have visited him have commented on how he has changed, noting that he can still express his thoughts, albeit differently.

In a heart-wrenching revelation, Elisabetta Gregoraci, the former flame of ex-F1 boss Flavio Briatore, disclosed to Spanish media: “Michael doesn’t speak, he communicates with his eyes. Only three people can visit him and I know who they are.”

Chatting candidly on Italy’s Big Brother, she went on to share, as reported by Spanish journos: “They moved to Spain and his wife has set up a hospital in that house.”

Before Schumacher’s epic 50th, family insiders opened up to Paris Match, with one confiding: “When you put him in his wheelchair facing the beautiful panorama of the mountains overlooking the lake, Michael sometimes cries.”

During the tragic crash, Schumacher’s helmet bore the brunt of the force, yet the catastrophic impact was such that it still shattered and fractured his skull, inflicting severe brain damage. Taken by helicopter swiftly to a medical centre, he underwent two emergency surgeries to relieve cerebral pressure.

Initial reports were grim, confirming Schumacher was locked in a life-and-death battle and in critical care. Finally, in April 2014, the family broke their silence, revealing glimmers of ‘moments of consciousness and awakening’.

By the summer of next year, positive updates emerged Schumacher had shaken off the coma, moved through rehabilitation, and returned home to his loved ones.

Back in 2014, ex-racing driver Philippe Streiff claimed that Schumacher was paralysed and now using a wheelchair, though it’s not been confirmed if this is still true. Philippe, who’s also wheelchair-bound after a crash, shared: “He is getting better but everything is relative. It’s very difficult. He can’t speak.”

“Like me, he is in a wheelchair paralysed. He has memory problems and speech problems.”

Meanwhile, former Ferrari chief Jean Todt credited Corinna’s fierce resolve for Schumacher’s survival, albeit with heavy costs. Speaking to Bild, he said: ‘I’ve spent a lot of time with Corinna since Michael had his serious skiing accident on December 29, 2013. She is a great woman and runs the family.

“She hadn’t expected that. It happened suddenly and she had no choice. But she does it very well. I trust her, she trusts me. Thanks to the work of his doctors and the cooperation of Corinna, who wanted him to survive, he survived – but with consequences.”

The full extent of these ‘consequences’ remains largely shrouded in mystery. Corinna has referred to her husband as ‘different’, while their son Mick, now an F1 racer himself, has mentioned his dad’s condition prevents any form of communication.

In 2019, it was reporter the legend had gone for some cutting-edge stem cell treatment to give his nervous system a boost. Le Parisien detailed how he received special transfusions to dial down the inflammation and even had an incognito nurse spilling the beans.”

“Yes he is in my service,” the nurse said. “And I can assure you that he is conscious.”

However, after so much time in bed, Schumacher’s muscles and bones have taken a hit with atrophy and osteoporosis setting in. Jean Todt, a close friend of the family, opened up about how they’ve had to switch things up since that fateful day.

Chatting to gazzetta.it, he said: “For me, it is a privilege to be close in the family with Michael, with Corinna, with Mick and Gina. Their life changed on December 29, 2013. They have to live everything differently. The important thing is the closeness of friends. And Keep Fighting, their foundation.”

Confirming that he lives at the family home in Switzerland, she said the fight continues to help her husband get better, but insisted she wanted to keep his trials and tribulations private. She continued: “Everybody misses Michael, but Michael is here – different, but here. He still shows me how strong he is every day.

“We live together at home. We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he’s comfortable. And to simply make him feel our family, our bond. And no matter what, I will do everything I can.

“We all will. 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. 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.”

His son, Mick, now 24 and a reserve driver for Mercedes after racing for Haas, has spoken sparingly about his father. In one of his few interviews, Mick expressed his heartbreak, saying: “Since the accident, of course, these experiences, these moments that I believe many people have with their parents, are no longer present or to a lesser extent. And in my view, that is a little unfair.

“I think me and dad, we would understand each other in a different way now. Simply because we speak a similar language the language of motor sport and that we would have a lot more to talk about. And that is where my head is most of the time. Thinking that would be so cool… I would give up everything just for that.”