Michael Schumacher health update: F1 legend shows progress after 12 years since ski accident - Here's what we know

Nearly twelve years after the devastating skiing accident that altered his life, Formula One great Michael Schumacher has shown rare signs of improvement. A Fox Sports report has claimed that the seven-time world champion is “no longer bed-bound,” offering a rare glimpse into his condition after years of secrecy.

Schumacher has stayed away from public view since sustaining a severe head injury during a skiing trip in the French Alps in 2013. Details about his health have been tightly guarded by his family ever since.

According to the report, Schumacher is now able to sit upright in a wheelchair, allowing him to be moved around his homes in Majorca and near Lake Geneva. His wife Corinna continues to oversee his care, supported by a specialised medical team.

In 2024, rumours circulated that Schumacher might attend his daughter Gina-Maria’s wedding, though no such appearance took place.

Earlier this month, Gina-Maria marked her father’s birthday by sharing a family photograph taken before the accident. The post was accompanied by the caption: “The best forever. Happy birthday papa.”

The report follows recent remarks by Richard Hopkins, a former Red Bull head of operations who knew Schumacher during his racing career. Hopkins suggested that fans are unlikely to see the F1 icon in public again.

“I haven’t heard anything recently. I understand he has a Finnish doctor, a personal doctor,” Hopkins told SPORTbible. “I don’t think we’ll see Michael again. I’m slightly uncomfortable talking about his condition because of how secretive — for the right reasons — the family wants to keep it. I can have an opinion, but I’m not in that inner circle. I’m not Jean Todt, Ross Brawn or Gerhard Berger, who visit Michael. I’m a long way from that.”