Gina Schumacher, the daughter of seven-time F1 world champion Michael, recently married partner Iain Bethke in Majorca – but her decision to change her surname has not been well received
Gina Schumacher has been slammed by her Michael Schumacher’s old boss for changing her surname.
Gina tied the knot with Iain Bethke’s after their luxury ceremony sunny Majorca, which was reportedly attended by Schumacher. And Gina has since taken on her husband’s surname – with German tabloid’s reporting her name has changed on Facebook.
And Schumacher’s ex-manager Willi Weber has slammed her choice, expressing shock at Gina’s choice to let go of such a “brand” name.
The distraught 82-year-old said: “Why would you just drop such a big name? I don’t understand it,” reports the Express.
“Giving up a name like that. It’s a brand. It’s connected to her father. I wouldn’t have done that. But that’s her decision! The other is my opinion.”
However, there’s a chance Weber might need to put the brakes on his disapproval, as at a recent horse-riding event, Gina was introduced as ‘Gina Schumacher-Bethke’.
The 27-year-old’s Instagram handle remains @gina_schumacher even after she shared snaps of her nuptials, leading to a bit of confusion among fans.
The news has surfaced while the F1 legend continues to battle health issues following his devastating brain injury caused by a ski accident in France 11 years ago.
Since the tragedy, Schumacher has been out of the public eye. His old pal Weber disclosed his regret over handling the situation, saying, “It was my fault that I didn’t visit Michael after the accident and stand by him,” he lamented.
“Because I thought the media reports were exaggerated. I thought I’d better wait a few days and then everything would be fine. But it was too late. For a long time I blamed myself for not reacting immediately.
“Since then, I’ve said goodbye to Michael in my heart in order to find my peace again. I have had no contact with the family for over ten years, I can barely remember what even happened.”
