04 October 2024 , 14:12
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Former F1 racing champion Michael Schumacher only communicates using his eyes, it’s understood.
The now 55-year-old – who reportedly attended his daughter’s wedding last weekend – suffered a serious head injury in 2013 after hitting his head on a rock while skiing in the French Alps.
The German national spent months in a medically induced coma and now receives round-the-clock care – although the full extent of his injuries have never been revealed by his family, who are fiercely protective.
Only three close family members and a team of medics are said to have regular access to Schumacher, which is said to have left him estranged from his extended family members- including his brother and fellow F1 driver Ralf, 49.
Despite the secrecy surrounding his recovery, a few individuals have spoken publicly about his life after the accident.
Among them is Elisabetta Gregoraci, the ex-wife of former FI boss Flavio Briatore, who has previously said that Schumacher communicates ‘only through his eyes’.
‘Michael doesn’t speak, he communicates with his eyes. Only three people can visit him and I know who they are,’ she said. ‘They moved to Spain and his wife (Corinna) has set up a hospital in that house.’
Former Ferrari boss Jean Todt has also spoken about Schumacher’s recovery in the past.
He told French publication L’Équipe last year that his friend is no longer who he ‘used to be’.
Jean said: ‘Michael is here, so I don’t miss him. [But he] is simply not the Michael he used to be. He is different and is wonderfully guided by his wife and children who protect him.
‘His life is different now and I have the privilege of sharing moments with him.’
Last weekend Schumacher is said to have made his first ‘public’ appearance since the accident, when he attended his daughter, Gina-Marie’s wedding.
Schumacher’s daughter Gina married Iain Bethke, 27, last weekend (Picture: Gina Schumacher/Instagram)
The 27-year-old wed Iain Bethke at the Schumacher family’s luxury four-acre Mallorca villa – bought by the family for around £27million in 2017 from Real Madrid chairman Florentino Perez.
Privacy was still closely guarded, however, with guest asked to leave their phones at the door.
Although nothing is official yet, there are rumours that Michael and Corinna’s youngest son Mick may have proposed to his girlfriend, Danish lingerie model Laila Hasanovic, 24, with another family wedding rumoured to be in the pipeline for 2025.