When we think of the great athletes, in general, in history, the common names always come: Michael Phelps, Michael Jordan, Rafa Nadal, Valentino Rossi, Diego Armando Maradona… Titans in their disciplines who, each with their own particular story, They broke the mold in their sporting career to occupy their table on the Olympus of the competition gods. All of them enjoyed their particular moment of glory and, with the exception of ‘Pelusa’, the rest have had or have their retirement (or close to it, in the case of Nadal) peaceful and guaranteed. That is why what happened on December 29, 2013 in the Méribel ski resort, in the French Alps, hit the collective imagination with such force.
Michael Schumacher, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion and the best driver of all time (numbers in hand) so far, suffered a spectacular accident whose circumstances have never been completely clear. And the pilot’s family decided not to let a single image of him be seen. And so it has been, beyond a fleeting zoom out in the documentary that could be seen on Netflix about the seven-time world champion, and whose billing generated many doubts. Going far beyond Schumacher’s glorious era at Ferrari was what angered many motorsport fans, but seeing Corinna, the wife whose courage has inspired so many others, or Gina-Maria and Mick, the children, talk about the The figure of such a titan of motorsports already makes it worth it.
In these ten years since that practical joke of fate, there has been a lot of speculation about the situation of the ‘Kaiser’. His life has been completely removed from the spotlight and his family, under the watchful eye of Corinna and with the representative Sabine Kehm as guardian of the door, has decided that the photo that everyone has in their heads is that of the legendary pilot who It once was and not that of the drooling old man who now, as can be read between the lines of the little information and statements made by those who can visit him, lengthens his days of life.
One of those who usually visits him is Jean Todt. The former Ferrari boss of Schumacher’s five titles and later president of the International Automobile Federation visits him practically every month a couple of times. They have even gone to watch Formula 1 races together, something that generates a certain shudder in everyone’s mind when imagining the scene. Especially because, as Todt has stated several times, Michael does react when he sees and hears what was his kingdom for almost two decades.
Mallorcan legacy and refuge
The Schumacher family lives by and to care for the titan of the family. The ‘Keep Fighting’ foundation is a declaration of intent but also an attempt to ensure that the financial coffers and the huge bank account they have do not go down the drain of the medical care they need. Corinna has not spared any expenses, and the mansion on the shores of Lake Geneva, in Switzerland, like the expensive hospital in Grénoble (France) where she was treated in the first years after the accident and now the family residence in Andratx, in Mallorca, is a real hospital, with an army of nurses and doctors dedicated body and soul to extending Michael’s life.
Although it is not the best way to understand it, since, as has been mentioned, the documentary does not tell even a third of what the figure of Michael Schumacher represents, it is very useful to listen to the family for the first time and understand what the legacy is. royal of the ‘Kaiser’. Even now, in the uncertain state he is in, he remains an inspiration to everyone, starting with his son, whose attempt to follow his father’s career in Formula 1 led him to drive for Haas with resounding results and is currently out. of the Great Circus and trying to cling to motorsports through the World Endurance Championship and the 24 hours of Le Mans.
In this sense, it is heartbreaking to hear and see Mick, whose resemblance to his father gives goosebumps, talk about him. «When I think about the past, the images that come to mind are of the four of us having a good time. I see images of us driving a kart through the countryside, I see images of us riding in a carriage pulled by a pony, many moments that I remember with joy. Now we would understand each other in a different way, I think we would speak a very similar language, that of motorsports, and we would have a lot to talk about. And that’s what I can’t stop thinking. I think about how cool that would be, that would have been. “I would give anything to have that,” he points out at the end of that documentary.
Perhaps the greatest success that the Schumacher family has achieved is that their legacy is precisely the one they left before the accident. Mick sums it up in that footage: “When I look at him, I think this is how I want to be: strong and composed.” That strength and serenity is the greatest inspiration, and possibly the greatest achievement, that the one who once strove to be the greatest athlete of all time will leave behind in history.
2023-12-28 23:20:37
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