MICHAEL Schumacher’s brother Ralf has said that the F1 legend may never completely recover from his horrific ski crash in 2013.
He said that “nothing is like it used to be” since the driving legend’s crash despite advanced medical treatment.
The racing icon has not been seen in public since his accident in the French Alps in 2013, and very little is known about his condition.
December 29 will mark ten years since Schumacher, largely considered to be the best driver in Formula One history, suffered the crash that left him in a coma for 250 days.
His family have kept the specifics of his recovery and condition largely private and only immediate family, and close friends know any details.
Ralf previously revealed that even he has not been allowed much contact with his brother’s family.
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In an interview with German magazine Bunte he maintained that he still loved them, and would always be there for them should they ever need him.
And now just ahead of the ten year anniversary Ralf, 48, has admitted: “I miss the Michael of the old days. Life is unfair from time to time.
“Michael was very lucky throughout his life. But then there was this tragic accident.”
He told German outlet Bild: “Michael wasn’t only my brother.
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“When we were kids, he was also my coach and mentor. He taught me literally everything about kart racing.
“There may be an age gap of seven years, but he was always by my side.
“We raced together, we practised overtaking manoeuvres and everything that matters in motorsports.”
Ralf, who also raced and won six F1 Grand Prix, said: “He passed on all the different things he had already internalised. I had the honour to learn from the best.”
And he mulled over the effect of his brother’s crash on Schumacher’s kids.
“It has been a significant experience for me but, of course, even more so for his children.
“Life is unfair at times. That day held a lot of bad luck. This fate has changed our family.”
Ralf was married to former model and TV presenter Cora Schumacher for 14 years but they split in February 2015.
His son David, 22, competes in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) racing series.
Schumacher’s son Mick, 24, also followed his father’s footsteps onto the race track.
Ralf previously said: “When I see his children Gina-Maria and Mick, my heart smiles.
“If someone in the family is looking for my advice, I’m there. They go their own way.”
The 48-year-old revealed that he is hardly in contact with his brother’s family just days after the Schumacher family lawyer revealed why the racing legend never released a report on his health post accident.
Speaking to the German news outlet LTO, their lawyer explained that an official report was never released to the public to protect private matters.
He said: “Of course, we discussed a lot about how this is possible.
“So we also considered whether a final report about Michael’s health could be the right way to do this.
“But that wouldn’t have been the end of it and there would have had to be constantly updated ‘water level reports’.
“They could pick up on such a report again and again and ask, ‘And what does it look like now?’ one, two, three months or years after the message.”
Their family lawyer maintains that his approach to the situation has strengthened the privacy protection of the Formula One legend and his family.
He stated that he understands many Schumacher fans want to know how the star is doing, but he believes that they should be able to respect the family’s privacy.
A Formula One journalist, Roger Benoit, recently told Swiss newspaper Blick that Schumacher was “a case without hope.”
Formula One legend and friend of Schumacher, Johnny Herbert, later called the comment “horrible”, but did reveal that Schumacher was “not close” to his former self following his ski crash.
Herbert also said: “There’s never any news. What we do know is we never hear any positive news.
“That’s the horrible thought that he is still not able to be close to the Michael that we all remember. And that is very sad.”
He also reflected on how the star’s crash had affected Ralf.
“Ralf has had to do a lot of things for and with the family given what happened to Michael.
“He has matured. He is very different now to the person he was as a driver.
“He is a good human being now. He has changed a lot having had to cope with the ongoing situation with his brother.”
He later described Schumacher’s wife Corinna as “very strong” despite the “huge void” left by his crash.
He said: “She [Corinna] has said they are trying to carry on as a family as Michael would have wanted.
“They are getting on with their lives but private does mean private.”
And Jean Todt, Schumacher’s close friend and former boss, told French paper L’Equipe: “He’s just not the Michael he used to be.”
He said: “He’s different and he’s wonderfully guided by his wife and children who protect him.
“His life is different now, and I am privileged to share moments with him.
“Unfortunately, fate struck him ten years ago.
“He is no longer the Michael we knew in Formula 1.”
The racing star’s ex-manager says he has no “hope” of seeing the F1 legend again.
Willi Weber revealed that he had received no good news after allegedly being shut out of the racing star’s life for the last 10 years.
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He told the Cologne Express: “When I think of Michael now, unfortunately I don’t have anymore hope that I will see him again.
“No positive news after ten years.”
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
