Michael Schumacher's current condition has been revealed by a close friend 12 years after his devastating brain injury.
Flavio Briatore, who led the Benetton team during Schumacher’s back-to-back world championship victories in 1994 and 1995, opened up in a recent interview with Corriere della Sera.
Now 75 and serving as executive adviser and de facto team principal at Alpine, Briatore reflected on Schumacher’s legacy and the difficult reality of his current condition.
Michael Schumacher, 54, has not been seen in public since the 2013 accident that changed his life.
He continues to be cared for by his wife, Corinna, and a dedicated medical team at their Lake Geneva home, with the family maintaining strict privacy around his health.
But Briatore’s comments paint a stark picture.
“If I close my eyes,” he said, “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.”
His update aligns with past remarks made by Briatore’s ex-wife, Elisabetta Gregoraci, who once shared unsettling insights into Schumacher’s limited ability to communicate, per the Daily Mail.
“Michael doesn't speak, he communicates with his eyes,” she said. “Only three people can visit him and I know who they are.”
The few glimmers of information that do emerge come from close family members, like Michael’s son Mick, a 26-year-old driver following in his father’s racing footsteps.
In the 2021 Netflix documentary Schumacher, Mick alluded to how much the accident had altered their relationship.
“I think dad and me, we would understand each other now in a different way now,” he said.
Corinna, typically private, also appeared in the documentary to confirm that Schumacher remains in ongoing rehabilitation.
She described him as “different, but here.”
In April, fans were surprised and deeply moved when Schumacher signed a helmet to be auctioned for charity.
The signature was made possible with Corinna’s help, sparking speculation that the F1 icon might be regaining some capabilities.
Johnny Herbert, Schumacher’s former teammate at Benetton in the mid-90s, called the moment “emotional” and shared his hope that it was a sign of recovery.
“It’s wonderful news that Michael Schumacher signed Jackie Stewart's helmet,” he told FastSlots. “It was a wonderful moment. We haven't seen something emotional like this in years, and hopefully, it's a sign.”
Despite the tragic circumstances, Schumacher’s place in F1 history remains untouchable.
With seven world titles (1994, 1995, 2000–2004), 71 fastest laps, and 155 podium finishes, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers of all time.
When Briatore was asked to name the GOAT of Formula One, he didn’t commit to just one.
“I don't know who the greatest is, because we've had Schumacher, Senna, Alonso,” he said. “Now, the number one is definitely (Max) Verstappen. I have two cars at Alpine, so I would like to have two Verstappens.”