Michael Schumacher's wife has opened up in the greatest detail yet about the Formula 1 legend's health battle after a tragic accident that left him in a coma nearly eight years ago.
The seven-time world champion has not been seen in public since suffering a near-fatal brain injury when skiingin the French resort of Meribel in December 2013. Schumacher's condition has been shrouded in secrecy thanks mainly to wife Corinna, who has vowed to protect his privacy.
Drips of information have come out over the years — most recently former Ferrari boss and Schumacher's close friend Jean Todt said he's hopeful the 52-year-old will recover one day — but on the whole the world has been kept in the dark over Schumacher's health.
Speaking on Netflix documentary SCHUMACHER, which looks at the German's life and career en route to establishing himself as the greatest driver of his generation and possibly ever, an emotional Corinna breaks down in tears as she speaks about the incident that changed her and her family's life forever.
Corinna has been fiercely protective of her husband since the accident and revealed how the family — including the couple's son Mick and daughter Gina — have dealt with the traumatic situation over the past eight years.
"Michael is here. Different, but he's here, and that gives us strength, I find," Corinna says in the documentary, set to be released on September 15 and which features never-before-seen archival footage and interviews with those closest to 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.
"And no matter what, I will do everything I can. We all will.
"We're trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives.
"'Private is private', as he always said. It's very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible.
"Michael always protected us and now we are protecting Michael."
Corinna Schumacher with Michael during his Formula 1 days. Photo / Getty
Son Mick has followed in Schumacher's footsteps. A natural behind the wheel like his father, he graduated to F1 and is in the middle of his maiden season with Haas.
When the 22-year-old thinks about life before the accident, his head is filled with images of the Schumacher clan laughing and having fun, and him driving go-karts around as a youngster just like his dad used to do.
Sadly, such times are no longer possible.
"Since the accident, of course, these experiences, these moments that I believe many people have with their parents, are no longer present, or to a lesser extent. And in my view, that is a little unfair," Mick says.
"I think dad and me, we would understand each other in a different way now. Simply because we speak a similar language, the language of motorsport. And that we would have much more to talk about.
"That's where my head is most of the time. Thinking that would be so cool. That would be it. I would give up everything just for that."
