I remember the day of Michael Schumacher’s ski crash 10 years ago – I never thought it would be this tragic, says F1 pal
MICHAEL Schumacher’s close pal has revealed what was going through his mind on the day of the legendary drivers devastating accident.
Former F1 ace – Timo Glock – said he “never thought it would be that tragic” ten years on from the ski crash that left details of Schuey’s health hidden from his fans and completely out of the spotlight.
As one of motor racing’s most iconic figures, the 54-year-old hasn’t been seen publicly since 2013 after he suffered a blow to the head that left him in a medically-induced coma for 250 days.
Timo spoke to BettingSites.co.uk about how he first heard about the news and how he never imagined it would cause so much long-term pain to Michael.
He said: “I was sitting with Timo Schneider, a good friend of mine, in his house where we were spending New Year together.
“We were playing cards and we heard about it on the news. It was a huge shock. You never thought it would be that tragic.
“With Michael normally you would say he stands up and walks away. But sometimes things can be tragic.”
Timo is still in “very good contact” with the Schumacher family and especially the legend’s son, Mick.
He’s previously come out and applauded the family for keeping Schumacher’s health condition private.
But the 41-year-old German has spoken about what he thinks Schumacher might be up to today if he was able to recover fully and regain his drive and determination for success.
Timo Glock said: “He would always have been around the F1 paddock but whether he would have been a pundit, I don’t know.
“He would not have been the F1 expert in front of the cameras. Yes, he would have done interviews but I think he would have worked for the sport he lived for.”
The seven time world champion dominated motorsport in a decade of dominance between 1994 and 2004.
But Timo feels like his quest for glory would’ve made him want to continue and win more championships but as a team principle.
He continued: “Maybe not in the first part of his retirement, maybe later on. But he would definitely have been a good person in that position because he knows exactly what it needs.”
Other successful drivers have also turned into team bosses such as Alain Prost and Sir Jackie Stewart.
After Max Verstappen clinched his third World Driver Championship earlier on this year in formidable fashion, many have likened his ability, consistency and will to win with Schuey’s.
But Timo doesn’t think you can compare the two just yet despite him being impressed with Max.
He said: “I am not one for comparing drivers from different eras. Every decade or so a great comes along who dominates. At the moment it is Max.
“You can relate this to Michael, when he was at Ferrari winning for the first time and building an unbeatable team.
“What impressed me the most about Max is zero mistakes. No mistakes from the team in terms of strategy, no technical mistakes in terms of reliability.
“With all the races you have now, this is unbelievable. It is at another level. So impressive.”
Airlifted to hospital after the ski crash in the French Alps, Michael had two life-saving operations to remove blood clots from his brain.
Doctors later said if it had not been for his headgear, he would have died instantly.
Michael, who is married to Corinna, 54, was placed in a medically induced coma to try to reduce the swelling.
Michael’s former Ferrari colleague Luca Badoer, one of those allowed regular visits, revealed: “Only a few people are allowed to visit.
“Corinna decides who is allowed to see him.
“The family wants to maintain a sort of secrecy about this and I respect their will.
“They do all this for the good of Michael.”