Formula One legend Michael Schumacher suffered life-altering injuries from a skiing accident in 2013

Michael Schumacher’s wife recalled her last-known conversation with her husband before his skiing accident(Image: STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Michael Schumacher’s wife revealed that he almost chose not to go skiing on the day of his life-changing accident in December 2013. The Formula 1 legend hit his head on a rock in the French resort of Meribel, which left him in a coma until June 2014.

Schumacher, who turns 57 on Saturday, has not been seen in public since the incident 12 years ago. His wife, Corinna, has protected her husband’s privacy by keeping a small inner circle and limiting updates about his health.

Those who are known to have spent time with Schumacher, aside from his wife and two children, Mick and Gina-Maria, include his long-serving manager Sabine Kehm and close F1 friends Ross Brawn, Jean Todt, Gerhard Berger, Luca Badoer and Felipe Massa. While Corinna refuses to discuss Schumacher’s health, she did recall what he had said to her on the day of his life-changing accident.

In the 2021 Netflix documentary ‘Schumacher’ about her spouse’s iconic career, Corinna said: “Shortly before it happened in Meribel, he said to me: ‘The snow isn’t optimal. We could fly to Dubai and go skydiving there.’

“I have never blamed God for what happened. It was just really bad luck, all the bad luck anyone can have in life. It’s always terrible when you say, ‘Why is this happening to Michael or us?’ But then why does it happen to other people?

“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.”

Their son Mick echoed his mother’s sentiments during the documentary. The 26-year-old is saddened that he’s been unable to discuss his own racing career with his father, who helped spark his passion for motorsport.

Speaking on the ‘Schumacher’ documentary, Mick said: “Since the accident, of course, these experiences, these moments that I believe many people have with their parents, are no longer present, or to a lesser extent.

Michael and Corinna Schumacher have been married since 1995(Image: Toni Passig/Getty Images)

“And in my view, that is a little unfair. 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 that we would have much more to talk about. That’s where my head is most of the time. Thinking that would be so cool. That would be it. I would give up everything just for that.”

His father won seven F1 world championships from 1994 to 2004, spanning his time with Benetton and Ferrari. After retiring, Schumacher returned for a three-year stint with Mercedes, lasting until 2012. Meanwhile, his son Mick made his F1 debut for Haas in 2021 before later moving into endurance racing.

It was reported that Schumacher had attended his daughter Gina-Maria’s wedding as she tied the knot with Iain Bethke in September 2024. The ceremony was held at the family’s luxury villa in Majorca, and it was claimed that guests were asked to hand over their phones to avoid leaks about the F1 legend’s condition.

While he has not been seen in public since his accident, Elisabetta Gregoraci, the ex-wife of former Benetton boss Flavio Briatore, provided some insight when speaking to Spanish media in 2020.

She said: “Michael doesn’t speak, he communicates with his eyes. Only three people can visit him, and I know who they are. They moved to Spain and his wife has set up a hospital in that house.”