MICHAEL Schumacher’s ex-manager says he has no “hope” of seeing the F1 legend again.
Willi Weber revealed that he had received “no positive news” after allegedly being shut out of the racing star’s life for the last 10 years.
Schumacher, 54, considered by many to be the greatest driver in Formula One history, hasn’t been seen in public since his devastating skiing accident in 2013.
December 29 will mark a decade since the racer suffered a horrific ski accident in the French Alps that left him in a medically-induced coma for 250 days.
Ever since, any information about the state of his condition has been a closely-guarded secret kept by his privacy-focused family led by wife Corinna.
The long-term manager of the seven-time F1 champion, Weber, 81, has now opened up about how never believes he will see his former protégé again.
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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.”
He also recalled how gutted he felt about not being able to see Schumacher immediately after the accident.
“Of course, I regret that very much and blame myself. I should have visited Michael in the hospital. I mourned like a dog after his accident.”
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After three or four years of allegedly being shut out of Schumacher’s life, Weber said: “For me it was clear: ‘Well, now it’s over. This crap needs to get out of my head'”.
Back in 2017, Weber extraordinarily accused the racing legend’s family of not being honest to the public about the Schumacher’s condition.
“I find it very unfortunate that Michael’s fans do not know about his health.
“Why are they not being told the truth?”
And in July last year, Weber once again made headlines by demanding that the Schumacher family come out with the truth about his health.
He said he was still “angry” that he had not been kept informed once since the F1 legend’s ski accident.
He told Italian sports publication La Gazetta dello Sport: “I tried hundreds of times to contact Corinna and she didn’t answer.
“I called Jean Todt to ask him if I should go to the hospital and he told me to wait – it’s too early.
“They kept me out, telling me it’s too early, well now it’s too late. It’s been nine years. Maybe they should just say it the way it is.”
Weber has been credited with discovering Schumacher in 1989 when he signed him up to his F3 team.
He has previously said that the racing great was “like a son to me”.
It comes as Schumacher’s close friend and former boss Jean Todt revealed the F1 veteran “is no longer the Michael we knew”.
“Michael is here, so I don’t miss him,” he told French paper L’Equipe in a recent interview.
“He’s just not the Michael he used to be,” the ex-Ferrari and FIA boss 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.”
Last month, Schumacher’s F1 pal Mark Blundell shared heartbreaking regrets over the racing legend’s tragic skiing accident.
The former McLaren driver, who called Schumacher “ruthless and brilliant”, said he hopes the Ferrari racer is fit enough to understand the sport.
Blundell, 57, raced in Formula One and competed against the German legend in the 90s.
Speaking to OLBG, he said: “At the end of the day, what happened to him was incredibly difficult to take.
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“I don’t know where we are today with Michael’s health as he’s rightly guarded.
“He’s still around, and hopefully he understands what’s going on. That would be a plus. It’s very difficult.”
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
