Michael Schumacher’s health prompts heartfelt message from Eddie Jordan to son Mick

The seven-time Formula 1 world champion suffered injuries in a 2013 ski accident

Harry Latham-Coyle
Wednesday 01 March 2023 06:04 EST
Michael Schumacher in numbers

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Eddie Jordan has said that he feels significant sympathy for the family of Michael Schumacher as they continue to contend with the former Formula 1 star’s health.

The seven-time world champion has not been seen in public since suffering significant injuries in an accident while skiing in 2013.

It was former Formula 1 team owner Jordan who originally gave Schumacher his breakthrough in the sport, but the Irishman was last year blocked from visiting his former driver by the German’s wife, Corinna.

Revealing, though, that Schumacher’s son Mick had recently reached out him, Jordan explained his understanding of a difficult situation.

Indeed, after a tough season that saw the youngster lose his contract with Haas, Jordan thinks Mick Schumacher deserves a lot of credit for how he has handled things.

“As far as I’m concerned, I was touched by [Mick reaching out],” Jordan, who operated an eponymous F1 constructor between 1991 and 2005, said to OLBG. “And the reason I was touched by it was because it can’t be easy knowing that your father is not able to be part of the family, he’s there but he’s not there.

“I have my own view that I don’t want to make public but my guess is that Mick showed elating compassion in the way he spoke about his father when the season was not going particularly well for him.

“He’s been dropped for somebody else, and that’s a tough decision, he has another fight to come back and to make his name, climb up that ladder again. I’m quite sure he will do it.

“Maybe [Mick reaching out] was the right thing that happened, but it touched me because I felt so much about Michael, I went out of my way to find him, give him his first chance in Spa, didn’t last very long but that love for him still lasts and will always do so while I’m able to draw breaths.”

Jordan gave Schumacher his first start in the sport in Belgium in 1991, but the talented German appeared only once in the Irishman’s car, instead opting to sign with Benneton for the remainder of the season.

What followed was a glittering career of seven world championships and 91 race wins.

There have been updates on Schumacher’s health have been

With the family preferring privacy in relation to Schumacher’s condition since the accident nearly a decade ago.

In a Netflix documentary last year, son Mick suggested that he felt he had missed out on elements of a traditional father-son relationship.

The 23-year-old said: “I think dad and me, we would understand each other in a different way now [if it hadn’t happened]. We would have had much more to talk about and that is where my head is most of the time, thinking that would be so cool.

“I would give up everything just for that. These moments that I believe many people have with their parents are no longer present, or to a lesser extent.”

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in