‘We will not forget you’ Michael Schumacher’s health kept secret four years after accident

He has been hailed by his fellow sportsmen as one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time.

Schumacher fell and hit his head on a rock while skiing in the French Alps on December 29, 2013 and was placed in a medically induced coma. 

He was removed from the coma and transferred home in 2014 where he continues to be cared for but secrecy surrounds his condition. 

But despite the Schumacher family’s calls for privacy, the racing world has not forgotten the F1 legend.

Though they were rivals on the racing track, Lewis Hamilton paid emotional tribute when he equalled Schumacher’s career record of 68 pole positions in mid-December.

He wrote: “Michael, equalling your pole position record in Belgium this year meant so much to me and was a true honour. Praying for you and your family all the time.”

And earlier this week, French sports magazine L’Equipe vowed “we will not forget you” 

A slick PR machine has kept details of Schumacher’s health completely private as he recovers from serious brain injuries. 

His management has insisted the question of his health is “not a public issue” and have asked that his family be left alone.

As L’Equipe journalists researched their latest edition, they approached the Schumachers’ family home on Lake Geneva in the hope of answers. The public has no idea how the legendary driver is recovering from his brain trauma.

However they were driven off the property by a security guard in a black Mercedes who admonished them for “causing tension”.

The Schumachers are reported to have attempted to buy all the land surrounding their property in a bid to put more distance between them and the fans desperate to learn more about Michael’s condition.

The last official Schumacher update was over a year ago. In December 2016, his lawyer revealed he could not walk, as he sued a magazine that had claimed otherwise.

Demands for privacy, however, have done nothing to stop the public from lapping up Schumacher news.

L’Equipe was able to reveal the family have built a small house close to their Lake Geneva property and filled it with medical equipment for the star driver.

They also report Michael Schumacher’s father is living there, to make sure he is cared for round the clock.

But small morsels of information have done nothing to sate public curiosity.

With no news coming from the Schumacher camp, some have created their own, with malicious, fake YouTube videos claiming to show the accident and footage of the star in recovery racking up tens of thousands of views.

And fans have grasped on any small details that could give clues as to his health.

Schumacher’s official social media channels are regularly updated with the most inspiring bits of his career.

A charity has also been created on the back of the #keepfighting hashtag that trended on the first anniversary of his fall.

Schumacher’s son Mick, himself a racing driver, said: “Many thanks to all who support us in encouraging other people to never give up.

“For many years, our family has received positive energy from people who feel inspired by my father. We want to channel this energy into a force that does good by helping in areas my dad has always supported.”

However the charity’s site doesn’t mention Schumacher’s injuries, so fans think the hashtag is about fighting for your dreams, not about recovering after the accident.

Schumacher’s daughter Gina-Marie also regularly uses the hashtag, often to the delight of fans who seize on the posts as news about their idol. However she never mentions her father on social media.

Additional reporting by Monika Pallenberg