Michael Schumacher Health Update Rumors: Possibly Still Wheelchair-Bound As Son Mick Takes Steps In F3

Any updates on the health condition of F1 legend Michael Schumacher have been kept under wraps by the legendary driver’s family. Since Schumacher’s horrific skiing accident more than three years ago, his family has made it a point to keep the progress of his recovery secret. As the iconic F1 racer continues on his long road to rehabilitation, his son, Mick, has begun what might very well be a long and storied career in racing.

Numerous rumors and alleged updates about Schumacher’s health condition have emerged over the past few years, and those that have published false reports were dealt with accordingly. Bunte, a German magazine which published a report from a source allegedly intimate with the Schumacher family, and which claimed that the legendary racer is walking again, has been sued in court, and it paid for its error dearly.

Despite the overall lack of updates, however, there are still statements that have been officially dropped by people intimate with the racer over the past few years. Taken together, they give an idea of the possible progress that Schumacher has made since coming out of his coma after his skiing accident. Among these are statements from Schumacher’s friends and old colleagues.

#OnThisDayInF1 in 2006 @schumacher won the European GP for @ScuderiaFerrari. #KeepFightingMichael pic.twitter.com/hWexUsHN4G

— On This Day In F1? (@OnThisDayIn_F1) May 7, 2017

Sabine Kehm, who managed the racer, stated back in December that there would be no official statements that would be released to the public about Michael’s health progress. According to Kehm, the 47-year-old racer’s health condition is relevant only to the legendary driver’s immediate family, according to a report from The Mirror.

“Michael’s health is not a public issue, and so we will continue to make no comment in that regard. We have to protect his intimate sphere. Legally seen and in the longer term, every statement related to his health would diminish the extent of his intimate sphere.”

Ross Brawn, who worked with Michael Schumacher over the driver’s long career, has also stated back in November that friends and family are still hoping that the driving superstar would be back on his feet in the future. Just like Kehm, Brawn also asserted the need for privacy with regards to the progress that the racer has made over the past three and a half years.

“We go see him and hope and pray that one day he will make a recovery. I was quoted as saying he’s improving and it was not what I really meant. The family are conducting his convalescence in private and I need to respect that. So I don’t want to comment on his condition beyond saying we’re extremely hopeful we’ll see Michael as we knew him at some point in the future.”

During the immediate months after Schumacher was transported home to recover, some details about the racer’s condition emerged from the driver’s close friends and acquaintances. Among them was Philippe Streiff, a former driver who was seen visiting Schumacher as he was in intensive care after the horrific skiing accident. Around November 2014, the former driver gave a brief glimpse of the legendary racer’s health condition, according to a report from The Telegraph.

“He is getting better but everything is relative. It’s very difficult. He can’t speak. Like me, he is in a wheelchair paralyzed. He has memory problems and speech problems.”

Mick in Monaco with DC ???#mickschumacher pic.twitter.com/vtVAYW1w9K

— Mick Schumacher Fans (@mickfansschumi) April 24, 2017

Though Streiff’s statement is quite old, it is one of the few concrete updates that fans of Schumacher have received about the health condition of the F1 racer. Considering the injuries that the racing legend sustained in this accident, however, Streiff’s description of Schumacher’s health status then appears to be well-rounded. With his long road to recovery in mind, there is a pretty good chance that the iconic driver might still be wheelchair-bound to this day.

The Schumacher name would not be erased from the racing books anytime soon, however, as the legendary driver’s son, Mick, has recently debuted in Formula 3 racing. While Mick remains as the fifth overall driver in F3 right now, the successor to the Schumacher name in the world of motorsports stated that he is not in a rush, according to a Wheels24 report.

“I’ve just come into Formula 3 – my second weekend is just over. For me it’s about taking one step at a time. I cannot say anything concrete yet. I have no real trouble. The car is extremely fast. I think almost as fast as DTM. It’s extremely fun.”

Thus, while Michael Schumacher’s health condition would remain a mystery for now, fans of the iconic racer could rest assure that his name and reputation would be in the hands of a very capable young man. That young man is his own son, who shared the slopes with him on that fateful, tragic day more than three years ago.

[Featured Image by Apichart Weerawong/AP Images]