Corinna Schumacher tightens access to Michael Schumacher after an extortion plot. The nine people allowed to visit the F1 legend have been revealed.

File photo of Schumacher looking on during the qualifying session for the Italian F1 Grand Prix race at the Monza racetrack in Monza Reuters / Alessandro Bianchi

The silence around the most celebrated name in Formula 1, Michael Schumacher, has always been fierce, but now his family has had to construct a final, impregnable fortress of solitude. More than a decade after the devastating 2013 skiing accident in the French Alps, the intensely guarded privacy Corinna Schumacher maintains over the seven-time world champion’s health is under threat. Schumacher sustained a traumatic brain injury from the accident, thereby requiring extensive, round-the-clock medical care from a large team of specialists.

A chilling high-profile extortion attempt, described by Corinna as the ‘ultimate betrayal,’ has forced the family to enact Draconian new rules, dramatically shrinking the privileged group permitted to see the racing maestro. This new layer of secrecy, reported by German media, intensifies the mystery surrounding one of sport’s greatest legends and underscores the emotional toll the decade-long ordeal has taken on his wife and children.

Michael Schumacher, seen here after winning the 1996 Spanish Grand Prix and 17 years before his 2013 skiing accident, remains under 24-hour care at his family home in Switzerland. His family has kept details of his condition private, though reports suggest the F1 legend is showing slight signs of improvement. YouTube

Michael Schumacher’s New Rules and Tightened Inner Circle

Since the horrific head injury he sustained while skiing in December 2013, Michael Schumacher has never been seen publicly. Several months after a medically induced coma, the legend was relocated from the hospital to his family’s home near Lake Geneva in Switzerland. The commitment of his family to protecting his dignity and privacy has defined the last decade. However, the recent developments have increased their insecurities, leading to an immediate and unprecedented culling of the F1 champion’s trusted associates. The once-wide network of friends and colleagues has now been severely reduced.

German news outlet BILD reported that the list of individuals with visiting privileges has been cut down to just nine people. This exclusive ‘inner circle’ is a collection of the closest family members and his most devoted professional allies. Unsurprisingly, the core of this group includes Corinna and their two children, Mick and Gina-Maria. Also included is Sabine Kehm, the trusted former manager of Schumacher, who has often acted as the family’s spokesperson.

Beyond the family unit, the circle retains those who shared his journey to seven world titles: former F1 boss Jean Todt, who remains one of Schumacher’s closest friends, and Ross Brawn, his former Benetton and Ferrari technical director, both retaining their place of honour. Former F1 drivers Gerhard Berger, Luca Badoer and Felipe Massa have visited Schumacher and are reported to be among the final members of this private circle. The exclusion of others shows the family’s rising concern over trust and security.

Azhar Zainal/Flickr | CC BY-ND 2.0

The ‘Ultimate Betrayal’ Forced Corinna Schumacher’s Toughened Stance on Michael Schumacher’s Privacy

The primary factor in Corinna’s decision to tighten the rules was a high-profile extortion attempt last year. The Schumacher family became the victim of a sinister plot orchestrated by three men, including the F1 legend’s ex-bodyguard, Markus Fritsche. These individuals attempted to blackmail the family by threatening to leak sensitive details regarding Michael Schumacher’s private medical condition.

Corinna, who has tirelessly shielded her husband for over ten years, publicly described Frische’s actions as the ‘ultimate betrayal’. This catastrophic breach of trust directly influenced her toughened approach to privacy protocols. This incident proved that even those in close proximity to the family could not be relied upon to honour their confidentiality. The betrayal was described by Sabine Kehm, the family’s trusted confidante, telling BILD, ‘The breach of trust has led to the family maintaining a greater distance from the people who work for them, to being more cautious’.

Kehm elaborated on the shocking nature of the crime, saying, ‘I personally find it extremely perfidious that they want to exploit the suffering like this, so it’s clear why the family is taking a tougher stance towards their loved ones’. She pointed out that such a violation is unjustifiable: ‘Even if you separate and aren’t happy about it, that doesn’t justify something like this’. The trauma has been keenly felt by Corinna, with Kehm saying, ‘Corinna is watching this with bitterness’.

Furthermore, the constant threat of media intrusion adds to their burden: ‘And it’s obvious that certain media outlets will send photographers back to the site. It makes you feel somewhat restricted’. Corinna’s new, stricter stance is an understandable response designed to prevent any further exploitation of her husband’s suffering and to preserve the sanctuary the family has built around him.

The incident involving the former security detail exposes the relentless, dark pressure the Schumacher family faces daily, even in their private sanctuary. Corinna Schumacher’s swift, uncompromising reduction of the ‘inner circle’ is not a choice made lightly but a necessary defensive action to protect the dignity and privacy of her husband in the face of criminal exploitation. While the world of Formula 1 misses the icon, the family’s priority remains his well-being.