Why the public forgot about the great racer Michael Schumacher two years later, what the children of the seven-time world champion are doing, and what made the wife of the “Red Baron” smile for the first time after the tragedy, discusses Maxim Ognenny, deputy editor-in-chief of R-Sport.
A little over two years ago, as a result of a fatal incident at the Meribel ski resort in the French Alps, the most famous Formula 1 racing driver of our time, seven-time world champion, German Michael Schumacher, said goodbye to his multi-million army of fans in absentia, falling into a coma and ending up on for a long time confined to a hospital bed.
The athlete's devoted fans, and simply people who are not indifferent to sports, watched the news with bated breath in the first days and months after the incident to hear encouraging data about Michael's condition. All the world's largest funds mass media dedicated their materials to the great racer, praying for Schumacher’s health, and the public in the open spaces " world wide web"in her comments she expressed the maximum noble empathy for the family and friends of the German athlete.
After the first year of treatment, it became clear that in the coming months, and possibly years, the “Red Baron” would not appear in public.
Media reports began to appear less frequently. News about the fundamental reluctance of the German’s wife Corinna to provide any information about the racer’s health alternated with the opinions of yellow press sources about the timing of recovery. Reporters learned “sensational” facts from the life of the great athlete’s family: the wife is selling Schumacher’s personal plane, the racer’s son is injured in one of the races, unknown persons are stealing a computer personal doctor Michael.
Day by day, the number of people willing to speak out on the topic of Schumacher’s health or speculate on how the people around him and the racer’s relatives should behave was rapidly decreasing. Large television channels and publications, realizing that the “most delicious foam” in the form of the number of views and reader responses had already been collected, practically forgot about the famous athlete.
Of course, such restraint can be perceived as a tribute to the family of the great racer. Back at the very beginning the hard way struggle for the racer's life, many wrote about the reluctance of Michael's son Mick to appear at social events, and Schumacher's wife was accused of being too private. And, of course, you can nod to all these considerations and agree that it is better to leave the unhappy family alone. But would such behavior be correct?
Year after year, watching life-and-death battles during dangerous turns on race tracks around the world, holding their breath moments before the finish of the Great Schumacher, not holding back tears during the racer’s farewell to the sport, all this time no one on our side of the screen even thought about the price this struggle is given to an ordinary German boy, who first drove at the age of 4.
And over the next 43 years, the boy, gradually growing up and becoming a real man, receiving his first injuries and winning his first awards, simply devoted himself to the sport and his fans. He gave his health, strength, emotions to people, most of whom he does not know. He was a source of delight for people most of whom would never see. He deliberately went for it, without thinking about himself.
And now, when “The Red Baron” can no longer bring the same emotions as before, we, putting on the masks of the righteous, turn away from the man whose whole life goal was only to prolong our pleasure. From speed, struggle, triumph and victories.
This is not a laudatory ode to the great German racing driver, whose fate inexplicably preserved the athlete’s health throughout numerous races and races, and killed this health during a banal ski trip. No. These are reflections on our human respect to the grief of your neighbor. The problem of compassion. This is what prevents us from truly supporting and believing in the speedy recovery of the father of two children, Michael Schumacher.
Now Schumacher does not think about his fans, he is not upset because large number previously loyal fans forgot about him. In principle, we do not know and will not find out what the seven-time world champion is thinking about now. But it's safe to say that he would have been delighted to know that his son Mick had climbed to the top step of the podium in his third race in the Formula 4 Championship.
And we would undoubtedly see the famous smile on Michael’s face if we told that Schumacher’s daughter Gina-Maria last August took part in the European Equestrian Championship, which took place in the racer’s homeland, Germany. Whatever you say, it was at these competitions that the wife of the “Red Baron” was seen laughing. Perhaps in her children she sees her husband, a real fighter for life and simply a brave man - Michael Schumacher.
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Michael was born on January 3, 1969 in a city in Germany. WITH youth it became clear that the boy had an irresistible craving for competitions and cars. Already at the age of four, the daring Shumi was rushing around the yard on a map made by his father from an ordinary lawn mower. A year later, seeing his son’s passion, he designed for Michael real kart with a motorcycle engine. Schumacher won his first cup on it. He became the smallest participant in the competition among juniors, but even then few would have thought that the boy would grow into a serious racer - the future Iron Prince.
Michael attributed his passion for racing to the enthusiasm of his father, who encouraged and helped him in every possible way in competitions. Otherwise, the boy’s everyday life was no different from the rhythm of life of his friends and classmates. He was fond of judo, loved to play football with friends, and after school he was going to study to become a mechanic; it seemed that his future path had already been mapped out and there was no place in it unexpected turns. But at the age of 11, the incredibly successful young champion was faced with a choice - to go to judo competitions or go to karting races. Michael chose judo and ended up only third. It was then that he realized that he had chosen the wrong road.
Michael's family was very poor, so his parents really didn't have enough money to pay for such an expensive activity, but the world is not without good people. Jurgen Dilk, a friend of their family, helped young Schumacher. It was he who bought the guy a brand new shiny kart. This man continued to actively help Michael.
And as often happens, life gave the talented driver a chance: by chance, Schumacher got into Formula 1. Thus began the legendary rise of the world-famous racer’s career. At the very beginning, he was even assigned as co-pilot with the famous three-time world champion Nelson Piquet. But this did not affect Michael in any way, because for him there were no authorities or idols, but there was an irresistible desire to become the best and win regardless of anything. He was confident in himself and his abilities, and that means a lot. Plus the desire to be first - and now Schumacher is fifth, and the legendary Pique is far behind.
In 1996, after signing a contract with Ferrari, he became the team's leading driver. In addition, the aggressive and pedantic racer influenced her good influence, as a result, team members became neater and more detail-oriented.
1999 was a very difficult year for Schumacher - he got into terrible accident, literally flying at high speed into a wall of tires. As a result, the car crashed badly, and the driver himself was significantly injured. But after two operations, Michael, not accustomed to giving up so easily, returned to professional sports and training continued. Schumacher became world champion seven times, won huge amount titles and medals, became the idol and dream of many boys.
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Rittmeister (captain) Manfred von Richthofen - the famous Red Baron, the best ace and, without a doubt, the most famous pilot of the First World War. From the summer of 1917 he commanded the 1st Fighter Squadron (JG I), better known as the "Richthofen Circus", and died on a combat mission on April 21, 1918. Who shot down the Red Baron?
On April 21 at 10:30 am, the Fokker triplanes of the Jasta 11 fighter squadron took off from the Kapi airfield - a total of 10 aircraft in two flights, one of which was piloted by Richthofen himself. Over the Somme they met Albatrosses from Jasta 5 (the number is unknown, but hardly more than a dozen vehicles), and from the other side of the front three five Camels from 209 Sqn RAF approached the same place. In addition, there were several more German scouts and a pair of R.E.8s from 3 Sqn AFC in the area.
All the aircraft listed above took part in a long, but not particularly productive battle for both sides. After half an hour of maneuvers and shooting, the opponents dispersed and returned to their bases. Time passed, all the Fokkers landed one after another, but the red plane never returned to the airfield.
After debriefing and interviews with forward artillery observers, it was determined that the captain had chased one or two Camels, managed to shoot down one of them, but then made an emergency landing, presumably due to engine failure or damage from ground fire. The Germans decided that Richthofen had been captured, and were so sure of this that when news of the Allied funeral for the pilot reached them two days later, they assumed that the baron was simply shot after landing, avenging the deaths of many British pilots. However, this version was soon forgotten, and the death of the JG I commander from anti-aircraft (machine-gun) fire began to be considered the most likely.
The Allies were also interested in knowing who shot down the German ace. They even conducted a small investigation, albeit without unnecessary fanaticism (for example, they did not perform an autopsy of the body, limiting themselves to a superficial examination). Based on its results, the commander of Flight “A” of the 209th Squadron, Captain Arthur Roy Brown, was declared the winner, for whom this success was the tenth and last. Some members of the commission had " dissenting opinion", but it was ignored, not least for political reasons: the German ace should be shot down by the British fighter pilot, and not an unknown machine gunner from the ground.
Captain Brown in front of his Camel, serial No. B7270, in which he took part in the battle on April 21
Over the past decades, historians have collected all possible information about the events of that day. The Camels of 209 Squadron entered the battle at 10:45 ( German time an hour more). One of the new recruits, 2nd Lt. Wilfred May, disobeyed orders to “stay out of the fray” and went on the attack. He fired first at one Fokker, then at the other, after which, with his weapon failing, he found himself in the center of the battle. Remembering another instruction: “go west in case of danger,” May did so, but caught the eye of Richthofen.
Fokker Dr.I with serial number Dr425/17, in which Richthofen took his last flight
When lines of bursts passed near the Camel, the Briton turned around and was horrified to see a red triplane behind him. Wilfred later recalled that he was saved only thanks to his own inability to fly: he worked the rudders randomly, and the maneuvers of the machine were unpredictable both for himself and for the enemy. During the battle, both aircraft fled to the northwest at low altitude. Captain Brown came to the wingman's aid. Putting the plane into a dive, he quickly caught up with the enemy, but due to too high speed, to avoid a collision, was forced to go up after a short burst. After this, Richthofen pursued May for at least one and a half kilometers (40 seconds), continuing to fire. Then the Fokker began a turn to climb, but, having lost speed, fell onto its wing and crashed into the ground near the Picardy village of Vaux-sur-Somme.
In the interval between Brown's attack and the fall of the red triplane, three anti-aircraft machine guns fired at it. First, the Vickers of Sergeant Cedric Popkin from the 24th Australian machine gun company fired at it, then the airplane fell into the effective fire zone of two Lewises covering the 53rd battery of the 14th Australian field artillery regiment (the machine gunners were privates Robert Buie and William Evans). At the crash site German plane security was immediately posted, but the name was barely known dead pilot, the car was literally torn to pieces by souvenir hunters. The ace's body was examined at least three times, and all the doctors agreed that Richthofen was hit by a single bullet, fired from the back and side and passing right through.
The wreckage of Richthofen's Fokker at the airfield of the 3rd Australian Squadron Air Corps in Bertangle (http://www.awm.gov.au)
Based on the location of the inlet and outlet holes, it was possible to approximately determine the angle of impact of the bullet: 37° from behind and 12° from below (the straight line passing from right to left in horizontal plane). Depending on whether the pilot was sitting upright or looking back, pressed against the back of the seat or leaning forward, the shot could be fired in a sector from 11° forward to 58° back and from 12° down to the horizon. It turned out that the fatal bullet could have arrived both from the ground and from the air. True, if the bullet ricocheted off a bone, then all these calculations become meaningless.
“Camel” by Arthur Brown and “Fokker” by Manfred von Richthofen (drawing by Mikhail Bykov)
In Canada, a museum houses a pilot's seat believed to have been taken from Richthofen's plane. There are no holes on it, except for mounting ones. If it really is from a red triplane, then we can draw a conclusion not in favor of Brown: he shot after him, which means there must be a hole in the back of the seat. Currently, most historians are inclined to believe that the most successful fighter pilot The First World War was shot down from the ground.
On the evening of April 22, Manfred von Richthofen was buried with full military honors in the cemetery of the town of Bertangle, 7 km north of Amiens. The British press published an obituary:
“Manfred von Richthofen is dead. He was a brave man, an aristocrat and a real fighter. May he rest in peace."
It was worth it German infantrymen to see his red plane over their positions, their morale was revived. For enemies, this red plane was a harbinger of imminent death. After all, everyone knew that the ace pilot, the legendary pilot, Manfred von Richthofen was a god. A god who paints the wings of his plane the color of blood...
Manfred von Richthofen was born on May 2, 1892 in the city of Breslau (now Wroclaw, Poland) into the family of a Prussian aristocrat, which meant that a military career was predetermined for him. After graduating from the military school in Waldstadt, he entered the military academy and became an excellent shooter and horseman. In 1912, with the rank of lieutenant, he began serving in a cavalry regiment. In August 1914 the peaceful rhythm army service was interrupted by the war. Manfred was appointed commander of the unit participating in the offensive against Russia. Soon his company was transferred to the western front. However, the war in France was not for cavalry: a man on horseback among trenches and barbed wire would simply be a helpless target for enemy machine guns. Like the Allies, Germany kept its cavalry in the rearguard, waiting in vain for a breakthrough. Richthofen had to perform the duties of the intendant. Fussing with papers and tedious household chores turned dreams of military exploits into something unrealistic. The young officer had a lot of time to watch how the new form military actions. This made it possible to get rid of boredom and trench dirt. Richthofen began to learn the profession of observer and was soon transferred to eastern front, where he regularly participated in reconnaissance flights. The time for engines came, and the former cavalryman moved from his horse to an airplane. He realized that flying was his element. Manfred wrote to his mother: “I fly over enemy troops every day and report on their movements. Three days ago I reported on the retreat of the Russians. You can’t imagine how happy I was.”
In August 1915, Richthofen was reassigned to the Western Front in a top-secret formation under code name"Pigeon Brigade", intended for bombing operations. Having completed the training course by Christmas of the same year and receiving the long-awaited wings, the newly minted pilot was finally able to fully satisfy his ambitions. In preparation for combat missions, Richthofen bolted a machine gun to the upper wing of his reconnaissance aircraft.
Air combat now looked different than in the beginning, when pilots used carbines and revolvers. The leap was made in February 1915, when the Frenchman Roland Garosse installed a stationary machine gun that fired through a rotating propeller. The German aircraft designer Fokker, having studied the captured French plane, came up with a breaker, thanks to which the machine gun fired bullets only at the moment when there was no propeller in their path. The Fokker chopper was installed on the Eindecker monoplane, which became the first real fighter. The machine gun on the Eindeckers became a hellish scourge for practically defenseless reconnaissance aircraft allied forces. During the ten months of terror that began in August 1915, the Eindeckers practically cleared the sky of enemy vehicles. In January 1916, the headquarters of the British Royal Air Force gave the order to accompany each reconnaissance aircraft with three fighters in close formation.
On September 1, 1916, Richthofen was transferred to the Western Front. He begins his career in the Jagdstaffel 2 squadron on the Albatross D. II biplane. And although Richthofen remained in everyone's memory with his Fokker Dr. I triplane, he made the vast majority of his flights on the Albatross D. II and Albatross D. III biplanes.
On September 17, 1916, Richthofen officially opened the account of his aerial victories - the downed plane finally fell where it should - on German territory. Two planes sent by Richthofen during the first year of his flying career to French soil were not counted.
On January 4, 1917, Richthofen brings his count to 16 air victories what makes it the best German ace of those living today. On January 12, he was awarded the Order Pour le Merite. He is given command of the Jasta 11 squadron. Richthofen decides to paint some parts of his vehicle red, partly in order to ground troops they easily identified him in the air and did not shoot at him. It is also believed that he chose red because it was the color of his Lancer cavalry unit. Richthofen’s act gave rise to a number of traditions: each airplane of his squadron was also painted red (but other colors were necessarily present in the coloring - only the squadron commander, the “Red Baron” von Richthofen flew a red car without other additional colors), and later English The pilots began to paint the nose of their cars red, thereby expressing their intention to shoot down the “Red Baron.”
The British also created a special squadron in order to shoot down the “Red Baron” - the so-called “anti-Richthofen squadron”, or “anti-Richthofen club”. Unsuccessful.
In April 1917, Richthofen surpassed Boelcke himself, his teacher, by shooting down 40 airplanes. He became a tool of German propaganda. The allies also had their heroes - the names of such aces as the Englishman Ball and the Frenchman Guynemer became legends. These bright personalities, “knights of the air,” as they were called, became famous throughout the world. Among the American aces, one of the best was Raoul Loughberry (16 victories), who previously served in the French Lafayette squadron. But all these heroes died. First Loughberry and Guynemer, and then Ball. The latter, in a fierce battle with the Air Circus, shot down Richthofen's brother Lothar, but he remained alive, and Ball died in the same battle. Only the Red Baron seemed invincible. He turned dogfight V exact science. In addition, Richthofen became an excellent aerial acrobat. He shot the victim with a very close range, opening fire only at the moment when he was sure that he could deal a fatal blow to the car or the pilot himself. Manfred von Richthofen was not one of the jokers, but he once said: “I prefer to see the face of my client.” In July 1917, the incredible happened - in a fierce battle with six FE-2s at once, the Red Baron was seriously wounded in the head. Miraculously avoiding death, almost blind, in a semi-conscious state, he nevertheless landed his Albatross. Three weeks later he escaped from the hospital and, with his head bandaged, led his pilots into battle.
Fokker DR-1 Plans
Many believed that the red airplane was actually flown by a woman, a certain German Joan of Arc. One day, von Richthofen’s squadron captured an English pilot, who, of course, began to ask who was flying the red airplane. He himself was firmly convinced that he was controlled by a girl. As Manfred von Richthofen himself describes the incident: “He was extremely surprised when I assured him that this hypothetical girl was now standing right in front of him. He was in no mood to joke. He was in fact convinced that only a girl could sit in a car like that.” extravagant coloring."
Richthofen's enemies called him not only the "red baron", but also the "red devil" and the "red knight". When the red airplane appeared over enemy positions, everyone already knew that as long as it remained here, the sky would belong to the Germans. For everyone firmly believed that the “red baron” was invincible. The morale of the troops immediately fell sharply.
Air superiority often depends on a little more speed, a little tighter turn, a little faster machine gun fire rate and, of course, the pilot's ability to make the most of these advantages. There were many pilots no worse than Manfred von Richthofen, but he knew how to fight to the end. On November 16, 1917, he was awarded the Order for Personal Bravery. At the same time he was appointed commander of Jasta-2. Unlike the British Air Force, the Germans collected their best pilots in elite units. His brother Lothar also served under Richthofen’s command, ending the war with 40 victories. Their colorful aircraft gave the unit the nickname "Air Circus". With the further reorganization of the German Air Force in June 1917, Manfred von Richthofen now commanded four Jasta groups, assembled into the combat wing Jagdgeschwader-1.
Richthofen's fame was also explained by the fact that from September 1917 until the day of his death in April 1918, he demonstrated his unique skill on a red Fokker. Flying this triplane, Richthofen won 17 latest victories. Meanwhile, British resistance in the air increased day by day. Thanks to the ever-increasing number of new generation aircraft, the balance of power in the airspace has swung towards the allies. Notable among their new aircraft was the CE5A, which stood up to the Red Baron's triplanes, as well as the Sopwith Camel, whose nickname came from the double-humped shape of the casing that covered its twin machine guns. By the end of the war, Camels had shot down more than 1,300 German aircraft. But the number of victories of Richthofen himself kept growing. The Sopwith Pope, which he shot down while flying a Fokker, was his 61st victory. The English pilot of the downed plane, Bird, taken prisoner by the Red Baron, was happy that he at least survived. But one person cannot change the course of events, and in April 1917, the United States declared war on Germany. Five months later, a US Air Force combat squadron entered the battle on the side of the British and French. The Americans flew on English and French planes, since the United States did not yet have its own combat vehicles. However, the very participation of Americans in hostilities sharply raised the morale of the allies. Time was working against Germany.
By this point, Richthofen had become something of a national icon. But the Red Baron began to get tired of his popularity and spent great pleasure free time with his beloved dog Moritz than with people. It seemed that not only those around him, but also Manfred von Richthofen himself believed in his exclusivity and immortality. He behaved arrogantly, arousing respect in people, but not worship.
The Red Baron's final chapter began on March 21, 1918, when Germany's finest units rushed into final offensive on Western Front. While the infantry was advancing, the Yag-1 flight was on the ground, but at dawn on April 3, the triplanes took to the air. By April 20, the Red Baron already had 80 victories. His last victim was Sopwitch Camel, shot almost point-blank. And then came the fateful day for Richthofen. On April 21, his unit attacked two reconnaissance aircraft. The fierce fighting over the British line brought in anti-aircraft fire. Captain Brown's squadron took to the air to help its scouts. Richthofen immediately chose Lieutenant May, who in the heat of battle had fired all his cartridges, and began to press him to the ground. They were now over the Australian troops area. Flying very low over the enemy trenches, Richthofen violated one of his basic rules - never take unnecessary risks. Australian machine gunners opened fire on a triplane flying overhead. While pursuing May, who was trying in vain to dodge, Richthofen exposed himself to a machine gun located under him. The pursuer became the pursued. Captain Brown sat on the tail of Richthofen, absorbed in the desire to finish off the enemy, trying to reach the red Fokker with a machine-gun burst. What happened next is unclear. What is known is that the triplane was shot at both from the ground and from the air. A minute later he collapsed in the field.
Richthofen's body was in the plane, and his hands were still gripping the steering wheel. Soon there will be nothing left of Fokker's equipment - what better souvenir than an aircraft part? famous ace? No one looked at what angle the holes were made in the downed plane and how many there were. The next day Richthofen was buried in a cemetery near the village of Bertangu. No autopsy was performed on his body. After a cursory medical examination, it was concluded that the Red Baron was killed by a bullet fired by Captain Brown. In ten days, Manfred von Richthofen would have turned 26 years old. In November 1925, the remains of the Red Baron were transported to Germany and buried in the Berlin Cemetery for the Invalids.
Richthofen passed away, but the question of who fired the bullet that killed him remained open. After the death of the Red Baron, General Rowlenson personally congratulated the two Australian machine gunners Ivans and Buie on their victory over the formidable ace. However, the pilots of the British Royal Air Force unit, commanded by Captain Brown, stood their ground. They claimed that the honor of victory belonged to their commander. It was almost impossible to prove anything - Richthofen’s plane was stolen for souvenirs, eyewitnesses of the event showed that Richthofen was wounded in the legs and stomach, and there was a sea of blood on the floor of his cabin. In general, eyewitness accounts indicate that he was killed by a burst from the ground, and not by Brown's bullet. But we will never know the truth.
January 3 marks the 49th birthday of one of the greatest racing drivers in history, a seven-time world champion in the Formula 1 class. The name of the legendary athlete has become a household name; even those who do not understand motorsports a bit have heard it. And drivers who love to drive fast are sometimes called “Schumachers” even now.
Unfortunately, the Red Baron will not be able to sit down for festive table with your family or accept congratulations from millions of fans from all over the world. It's already four o'clock small year he is running the main race of his life. And sadly, it seems that Michael is losing this race, in which his opponent is death.
BEHIND SEVEN SEALS
It seems - because it’s difficult to say anything definite about Schumacher’s condition in the last couple of years. Immediately after the tragic incident in 2013, his family, led by his wife Corinna, decided not to inform the public in detail about the progress of the athlete’s treatment and recovery. And he still keeps this vow, despite criticism.
Michael’s health is not a public matter, the German’s manager Sabine Kem recently confirmed once again. “And we will continue our policy of not commenting on his condition.” We need to protect him personal life. The family has every right to do this, including from a legal point of view.
Be that as it may, information about Schumacher’s health in the last four years is indeed extremely fragmentary and far from complete. And sometimes it is downright dubious in nature.
WAITING FOR A MIRACLE
What is known for certain? At the end of 2013, Schumacher spent the Christmas holidays with family and friends at the resort of Meribel in the French Alps. On December 29, the athlete and his son were skiing. While going down an unsafe slope between two equipped slopes, Michael fell, flew about 30 meters downhill and hit the rocks with such force that his ski helmet broke. But doctors agree that it was the helmet that saved the racer’s life.
However, Schumacher still received a severe head injury and was sent by helicopter straight from the mountain to a Grenoble hospital, where he underwent two neurosurgical operations. After them, due to brain damage, he was placed in an artificial coma. Jean-François Payen, former doctor Schumacher, during the first nine months after the incident, predicted that his patient would make a full recovery in about three years. But these forecasts turned out to be too optimistic. Although in the first months, doctors and relatives repeatedly said that they “felt progress” in the athlete’s condition.
In June 2014, Michael was brought out of a coma and transferred from intensive care to rehabilitation. He began to undergo it in Switzerland - Schumacher was transferred to the hospital at the University of Lausanne. And in September of the same year, the family moved the racer home - to an estate on the shores of Lake Geneva.
Considering the injuries he received, he managed to achieve some success, the official statement said. “But there is still a long and difficult road ahead.”
And after that, information about Schumacher’s condition almost stopped coming. At least it's reliable. The media reported in 2014 that the racer was “paralyzed, moves in a wheelchair and has memory problems”, in 2016 - that he “can take a few steps”, but this information was refuted in court, in 2017 - that they “plan to transport him for treatment to an American clinic in Texas.” According to press reports, Michael recent months is in a coma, due to which his weight has decreased to 45 kg and his height has decreased by 12 cm, and only a miracle can save the legendary racer, although the Schumacher family has spent more than 20 million euros on medical expenses over four years.
PLUS 200 MILLION
At the same time, the Red Baron continues to be one of the most popular personalities in the world of motorsport. His official pages V social networks are regularly updated and have a huge number of subscribers - there are one and a half million of them on Facebook, various goods with Schumacher's symbols are still selling well, and his 2001 champion car was sold at a famous auction for $ 7.5 million. Michael's family founded the KeepFighting movement, which has now grown into a full-fledged charitable foundation. And if in 2010 Schumacher’s personal fortune was about 600 million euros, then according to the latest data from Forbes magazine, it has now increased to almost 800 million.
His children are doing well too. Schumacher's son Mick, who was on the ski slope with his father on that ill-fated day in 2013, has already celebrated his 18th birthday and dreams of repeating the career of Schumacher Sr. in auto racing. He started karting as a child, and now he is a promising European Formula 3 driver. It is possible that in a couple of years we will see him in the Royal Races.
Shumi's 20-year-old daughter Gina Maria also cannot live without horsepower, although she has chosen a different path - she rides horses in the so-called Western style. It was the fact that the Schumacher family owns a large ranch in Texas. The girl has achieved noticeable success in the rapidly growing popular discipline of “reining” - she won two gold medals at the Junior World Championships held in August, in individual and team competitions.
