Michael Schumacher’s family has shared a touching message about the Formula 1 legend on the 10th anniversary of the tragic skiing accident that almost killed him.
The seven-time world champion was placed in an induced coma for 250 days and has never been seen since he crashed into a boulder while skiing with his son in the exclusive French resort of Meribel on December 29, 2013.
In the decade since, his family — led by wife Corrina — has shielded him completely from the public eye and kept the status of his health a total secret, except with an extremely select few.
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In that time, family members also set up a foundation in his honour, which aims to “do good by supporting charitable projects” and “show that giving up is not an option”, inspired by the attitude on which Schumacher’s career was built.
The Keep Fighting Foundation, whose board of trustees includes only three of Schumacher’s closest friends and his son, posted a touching message on Saturday morning AEDT — exactly 10 years after the crash.
“An inspiration for so many. Certainly for us,” the charity wrote on social media, alongside a photo of Schumacher, and the hashtags, “#KeepFightingMichael” and “#KeepFighting”.
A quote from the F1 legend himself effectively acts as the foundation’s mission statement.
“I’ve always believed that you should never, ever give up and you should always keep fighting even when there’s only the slightest chance,” Schumacher said back in 2007, which is written at the top of the Keep Fighting Foundation website.
In the lead-up to the 10th anniversary of his accident, former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said Schumacher would always be remembered as the centrepiece around which Ferrari built its sustained success in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Schumacher made his F1 debut in 1991 at the Jordan team, but he was already at Benetton for the next race and won his first two world titles with them in 1994 and 1995.
He then joined Ferrari and won his other five titles with the Scuderia from 2000-04.
“I knew that he was talented,’‘ Ecclestone, 93, said. “Eddie Jordan was very convinced of him, he had a good eye.
“Michael surely would have found another cockpit, but we took a few shortcuts for ‘Schui’. We stole him from Jordan.”
Looking at Schumacher’s Ferrari era, during which he helped the team end a long title drought, Ecclestone said: “One day we were sitting together and I asked him ‘Who is leading this team?’ And he answered ‘I am doing that.’
“He did that really well. He could get the best out of the people. He earned the respect of the people, they listened to him.
“Whenever he said something they knew it was correct. Whatever Michael said (team principal Jean) Todt followed it.”
Ecclestone said he could not really understand why Schumacher retired for the first time in 2006 because “he still was so good”, but that he is remembered as an icon in sport.
“Of course Michael profited from Formula One, but Formula One profited at the same time to have him around,’‘ Ecclestone said.
“There are enough drivers who simply disappear and no one remembers them.
“That is of course different with ‘Schui’. Like Lewis Hamilton these days, he stands for an own brand.”
He described Schumacher as “quite normal, simply a nice guy”, but only has vague memories of the day of Schumacher’s skiing accident.
“No one knew at the time what had happened and which consequences it would have,’‘ Ecclestone said. “It took a long time until the people understood what had happened.
“I miss him. He is a star and will always be remembered as a star.’‘
