Michael Schumacher is widely regarded as one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time, and rightfully so. The German racer is tied for the most Drivers’ Championships in the history of the sport with seven and was one of the best racers of his generation.
Schumacher retired from the sport back in 2012 as a Mercedes driver. However, his post-retirement days turned into a nightmare very quickly as he was involved in a life-threatening skiing accident in 2013, which resulted in him being in a coma for four months.
Everyone is well aware of the incident involving Schumacher, but not everyone knows the full details and what actually happened on that tragic day, from the crash itself, to the immediate aftermath. Here, we will go through the events of that day, how the crash happened, and what happened in the hours, days, weeks, and months that followed.
Michael Schumacher’s Life-Changing Accident
What actually happened on that tragic day in 2013
The incident took place in France, where the Schumacher family had gone on vacation. Schumacher was familiar with the surroundings of the Meribel Resort as he had been there quite a few times before. In fact, the seven-time world champion celebrated his birthday in the valley of France every year.
However, on the fateful day of the 29th of December 2013, Schumacher went to the ‘off-piste’ area on the slope and that turned out to be a costly decision. The former Ferrari driver hit one of the rocks in the uncleared section of the snow and that made him lose control. He fell head first on another rock, 10 metres away, and that impact cracked his helmet in two.
The Aftermath of the Crash
The 55-year-old German was conscious in the beginning, but wasn’t responding to any of the questions, which prompted the medics to call for air extraction. After being taken to a hospital in Moutiers, Schumacher was later moved to a specialised trauma unit in Grenoble. The then-44-year-old was already in a coma when he arrived at the hospital. He required immediate brain surgery to stop the swelling and to make sure that his brain received a continuous supply of oxygen.
“He didn’t respond to questions after the accident. He didn’t have a normal neurological reaction,” neurosurgeon Stephan Chabardes said in a press conference. According to the hospital’s head of anesthetics, Jean-Francois Payen, Schumacher survived the crash because of his helmet.
The former Benetton man was surrounded by his friends and family, as well as his former team principal at Ferrari, Jean Todt. In late January 2014, efforts were launched to bring Schumacher out of his coma; however, it wasn’t until April 2014 that his condition was updated.
In a statement, Sabine Kehm, Schumacher’s press officer, stated that the F1 legend had been exhibiting indications of “consciousness and awakening.” After being declared out of a coma for two months, he was allowed to depart Grenoble Hospital.
The seven-time world champion won an award in 2023 from the State of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany, which was collected by his former boss, Todt. It was during this ceremony that the former FIA president revealed that he and Schumacher sit and watch races together.
“I don’t leave him alone,” Todt told RTL. “I don’t miss Michael, I see him. Yes, it’s true, I watch races with Michael. But sure, I guess what I miss is what we used to do together.”
Michael Schumacher in 2026
As we enter the 13th year since the accident way back in 2013, not many fresh updates emerge surrounding the German’s current health and condition. However, a recent exclusive from the Daily Mail did detail how he was now no longer bedridden and has started to understand certain things.
According to the same report, Schumacher can now be wheelchaired around his property, which is a lot more promising and shows that there may still be hope for the F1 legend moving forward.
It’s expected that the public will never see Schumacher again, but the news that he’s no longer bedridden and that he does understand things is as positive as it can get right now.