The life of legendary Formula 1 driver, Michael Schumacher, is the subject of a new Netflix documentary.
The 52-year-old's time on the track resulted in him setting a record for the most world championship wins, with seven to his name. It's a feat that was only recently equalled by Mercedes driver, Lewis Hamilton, who credited the star following his win.
However, Schumacher — who won 91 Grand Prix races — tragically suffered a devastating skiing accident in 2013, and he has not been seen in public ever since.
Here we break down Schumacher's accident, and some key takeaways from the documentary.
How did the accident happen?
Schumacher suffered a near-fatal brain injury on December 23rd, 2013, while skiing with his son, Mick, in the French Alps.
The F1 racer was descending the Combe de Saulire below the Dent de Burgin above Méribel in the French Alps when he crossed an unsecured off-piste area, and fell and hit his head on a rock. The helmet he was wearing is said to have saved his life.
He was airlifted to a hospital where he was placed in a medically induced coma before undergoing several operations to reduce swelling on the brain.
By March of 2014, after showing encouraging signs, he was withdrawn from the coma, and returned home to Lake Geneva, where he continues to be treated today.
In August of 2014, it was reported that Schumacher was "paralysed in a wheelchair," and "cannot speak and has memory problems," per The Telegraph.
Then, in May of 2015, Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm stated that his condition was slowly improving "considering the severeness of the injury he had".
His family have kept details of the sportsman's condition incredibly private. However, on his 50th birthday, they released an update, stating that they are doing "everything humanly possible" to help him recover.
Schumacher has not been seen in public since his accident in 2013.
What is said in the documentary?
The 52-year-0ld's wife, Corinna, whom he has been married to since 1995, spoke in the documentary.
While very little was divulged about his current condition, she said: "Michael is here. Different, but he’s here, and that gives us strength, I find."
The couple has two children, 24-year-old daughter, Gina-Marie, and 22-year-old son, Mick.
"Of course I miss Michael every day. But it’s not just me who misses him. The children, the family, his father, everyone around him. I mean, everybody misses Michael, but Michael is still here. Different, but he’s here, and that gives us strength, I find.
"We’re together. 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," she added.
Schumacher nearly chose skydiving over skiing
In the documentary, it was also revealed that the German former racing driver nearly escaped the tragic skiing accident that altered his life forever.
During the Meribel skiing trip in 2013, Schumacher went so far as to tell his family that the snow in the resort was "not optimal", and that he proposed they fly to Dubai instead to go skydiving.
Ultimately, however, the family stayed and chose to make the best of the conditions.
"Shortly before it happened in Meribel, he said to me, 'The snow isn't optimal. We could fly to Dubai and go skydiving there'," Corinna told the filmmakers.
"I have never blamed God for what happened. It was just really bad luck - all the bad luck anyone can have in life," she continued. "It's always terrible when you say, 'Why is this happening to Michael or us?' But then why does it happen to other people?"
Schumacher's legacy
Schumacher's F1 legacy has continued with his son, Mich, who competed with the Haas teem this year.
The 22-year-old spoke candidly in the documentary about how difficult it has been following in his father's footsteps without his input. "I think Dad and me, we would understand each other in a different way now. Simply because we speak a similar language, the language of motorsport, and we would have much more to talk about," he said.
"That’s where my head is most of the time. Thinking that would be so cool… I would give up everything just for that."
SCHUMACHER is available to stream on Netflix from September 15
