Alpine senior advisor Flavio Briatore has painted a heartbreaking picture while sharing the latest update on Michael Schumacher’s health condition. The Italian has claimed that he prefers to remember Michael Schumacher smiling, rather than “him just lying on a bed”.
Flavio Briatore was the boss at Benetton when Michael Schumacher claimed his first two world championships with the team in 1994 and 1995. The Enstone-based team later became Renault. But Briatore wasn’t simply Schumacher’s boss, he is also a close friend.
The 75-year-old is one of the few people to have visited the 7x world champion, since his skiing accident in 2013. Speaking to Italian outlet Corriere della Serra recently, Briatore shared an emotional update regarding Schumacher’s current condition.
“If I close my eyes, I see him smiling after a victory. I prefer to remember him like that rather than him just lying on a bed.” said Briatore. [via Mirror UK]
Briatore also shared that he is in regular contact with Schumacher’s wife, Corinna. She has previously claimed that her and all people close to Schumacher “miss him”. But the German legend still lives, but is “different”, according to her.
Only Schumacher’s family members are allowed to meet him on a consistent basis. A few of his friends have also had the opportunity over the years, which includes Briatore, and former Ferrari team principal and FIA President Jean Todt.
Michael Schumacher continues receiving treatment at home
After sustaining head injuries as a result of his skiing accident in Switzerland, Michael Schumacher was put in a medically induced coma. He spent around 250 days in this state, before being moved back home. Since then, a medical team is constantly at his care.
His wife Corinna also spoke about life at home with Schumacher in his current state, via the Netflix documentary, Schumacher.
“We’re together. We live together at home. We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he’s comfortable. And to simply make him feel our family, our bond.”
When Schumacher originally returned back home, the reported cost of his medical care was estimated at around $9 million [€7 million] annually.
Michael Schumacher remains one of the most iconic names in F1. He retired from F1 in 2012 as the driver with the most championships, race wins and pole positions in the sport. While these records have either been equalled or broken by Lewis Hamilton, Schumacher’s legacy has still continued to prospered.
Even 13 years after his retirement, some of his records remain untouchable. His son, Mick, carries his name forward in the world of motorsport. The 26-year-old raced for Haas in F1 for two seasons, before joining Alpine in the World Endurance Championship.
Michael Schumacher’s condition now remains largely private. But it is known that he is bedridden, and non-verbal. He reportedly communicates only via eye movements and sporadic gestures.
