What happened to Michael Schumacher? F1 great celebrated at Italian Grand Prix
Sebastian Vettel drives 2002 championship-winning Ferrari at Monza in tribute to German driver, 20 years after his initial retirement
Sebastian Vettel drove Michael Schumacher's 2002 Ferrari in an exhibition lap ahead of the Italian Grand Prix to celebrate 30 years since he first drove for the team.
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The 39-year-old described "mixed emotions" about the experience in Monza on Sunday, with Schumacher having not been seen since 2013, when he suffered a horrific skiing accident.
Vettel said: "It's mixed emotions. It was the car, the time, the era that I fell in love with, and I remember as a child... But in the circumstances, we miss him and would have loved to have seen him drive."
Ferrari additionally placed Schumacher's name on their cars, driven by Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, in the race, which was won by Mercedes' Andrea Antonelli.
The race also marked 20 years since Schumacher's initial retirement from Formula One, although he did return to drive for Mercedes from 2010 to 2012.
Schumacher, who won a record seven world titles, announced his initial retirement in 2006, having won that year's Italian Grand Prix in front of the Tifosi.
What happened to Michael Schumacher?
Michael Schumacher has not been seen in public since December 2013, when he suffered a horrific skiing accident and hit his head on an exposed rock in the Alps.
The crash caused severe damage to the right side of his head, and medics said he would have died if he had not been wearing a helmet. He underwent several operations and was in a coma for seven months.
After he was brought out of a coma, Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm said he was "paralysed and in a wheelchair" and added, "there are signs that give us encouragement".
Since then, little has been officially reported about Schumacher's condition, and he has not been seen.
His friend and former Ferrari boss Jean Todt said in 2023: "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."
Current condition
Only a handful of close family members and trusted friends are now updated on Schumacher's welfare, but reports have said he is now living between homes in Lake Geneva and Majorca and is escorted around his estate in a wheelchair.
A source said: “[Michael] understands some of the things going on around him, but probably not all of them.”
Elisabetta Gregoraci, a family friend, said that Schumacher is unable to speak but communicates with eye movements. “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 has set up a hospital in that house.”
Who can see Michael Schumacher?
He is cared for by Corinna, his wife since 1995, and their children, former F1 driver Mick Schumacher and professional horse rider Gina-Maria Bethke. He is cared for by a nurse.
Michael's brother Ralph, who won six F1 races himself, is within the cited handful who have access.
Felix Gorner, who is understood to be close to the Schumacher family, said: "The situation is very sad. Currently, there’s a maximum of 20 people who can approach Michael."
His former teammate Ricardo Patrese said that he had offered to speak to him while he was in a coma to help wake him up, but said the offer was refused.
The Italian, who had raced with him at Benetton, said: “I asked [his wife] Corinna if they wanted me to go there and try to help, if I could. Well, if I could, I would have, but they said, ‘No, thank you. It's not the moment.'"
Signs of progress
There have not been significant updates stating the progress that Schumacher has made, but he did make a semi-public appearance in October 2024 when he attended the wedding of his daughter Gina-Maria.
It was reported that all guests were asked to not take photographs of Schumacher and were required to hand over photography equipment.
In April 2025, a helmet was put up for auction that had been signed by Schumacher with the aid of his wife.
Legal issues
Former racing driver Joey Mawson was acquitted of raping his nurse in an incident in 2019 in Switzerland.
Mawson was acquitted on all charges and said: "From the very beginning, I maintained my innocence and trusted that the truth would prevail."
In February 2025, Schumacher's former bodyguard Markus Fritsche was then given a two-year suspended sentence for blackmail after he stole images of the former driver and threatened to post them on the dark web.
His accomplice Yilmaz Tozturkan was sentenced to three years in prison, and Tozturkan's son was given a six-month suspended prison sentence for their roles in the scheme.
The images never emerged in the mainstream media.