Despite the fact that Michael Schumacher’s family has shrouded his condition in secrecy, the seven-time world champion still is very much on the minds of those within the Formula One paddock. And that includes his former rival, Fernando Alonso.
Alonso honored Schumacher on Friday, the fourth anniversary of the German driver’s near-fatal skiing accident, by retweeting a clip of one of their most memorable battles. Along with the video, which shows his brave 180-mph overtake on Schumacher at Suzuka Circuit’s 130R corner in 2005, Alonso shared a brief message: “Missing this. Missing Michael. #KeepFightingMichael.”
That Spaniard entered F1 in 2001, the year in which Schumacher claimed his fourth world championship. Although it would take Alonso until 2005 to win his first title, he still beat Schumacher while he was at his peak to do so — as he did again the following year.
Schumacher, though wearing a helmet at the time, sustained a serious head injury in 2013 when he hit a rock while skiing in the French Alps. After awaking from a medically induced coma, he returned to Switzerland in 2014 to continue his treatment at home.
The Schumachers hardly have released any information on Michael’s condition since, but the family’s attorney was forced to reveal in a 2016 lawsuit that the 48-year-old still “cannot walk.” On Friday, British publication The Daily Star claimed Schumacher has racked up £20 million (roughly $270 million) in medical expenses since the time of his crash, though it’s unclear where that figure came from.
