Amid recent positive news about Michael Schumacher no longer being bedridden, a more worrying update has emerged on the legendary Formula One figure. According to close friend and former team-mate Riccardo Patrese, the German does not know that he is a seven-time world champion.
Schumacher won seven F1 titles during his distinguished career, but sustained a head injury over a decade ago – in the French Alps in 2013 – and hasn’t been in the public eye since. As such, only his inner circle have a clear picture of his health, with one-time Ferrari teammate, Felipe Massa, the only past F1 driver in that group.
Despite not being in the inner circle, Patrese, who drove alongside the German for Bennetton in the 1993 F1 season, claims he has heard murmurings about Schumacher’s health for a number of years now.
Riccardo Patrese Claims Schumacher’s Health Has ‘Not Changed for Some Years’
In an interview with Hochgepokert, Patrese explained what he’d heard about Schumacher, via a friend. The Italian said:
“I had this news, via a friend, that he was improving. But I never met him after the accident. I never went there, so it’s only talk that he could sit, watch and look around and make contact with his eyes
“After the first improvements, my knowledge about his health was that he was in the situation that they described this week. He’s in his own world, but he recognises people around him, familiar faces. I am sure he does not know he is a seven-time world champion.
“Of course Michael is now living in the way that he is with a lot of effort from the family. I think in this kind of situation, it is a treasure for the person that they love. Even with the condition he is in, they like to have him and care for him and love him.”
He continued, noting that Schumacher has not actually seen his health change for a number of years: “He’s still with us and we can only hope that he will get better. We are really hoping, every day he is doing a little bit more. I’m very happy to hear that Michael is improving but from what I know of this situation nothing has changed for some years.”