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Guests at Michael Schumacher’s ‘first public appearance in 11 years’ given strict rules to follow


Michael Schumacher is said to have been seen in public for the first time in a decade to attend the wedding of his daughter Gina-Maria.

Media outlets in Germany have reported that the Formula 1 icon was part of the private ceremony at his family’s luxury villa in Majorca.

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Michael Schumacher has been cared for by his wife since his skiing accidentCredit: Getty Images

Gina-Maria Schumacher married German entrepreneur Iain Bethke in an intimate ceremony on Saturday.

It was held at the Schumachers’ £27million villa in the secluded hills of Port d’Andratx in Majorca, which the family bought in 2017 from Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.

BILD claimed that it is ‘very likely’ that the seven-time F1 world champion was present to watch his daughter tie the knot.

The 55-year-old has been absent from the public eye since suffering a life-altering brain injury following a skiing accident in 2013.

His inner circle have been fiercely protective of his privacy since, where he mostly resides in the family mansion in Lake Geneva Switzerland – over 4,500 miles away from Majorca.

Schumacher’s family prohibited photos from being taken of him, and to combat potential leaks, it has been claimed that wedding guests were told to hand over their mobile phones to the property’s security upon their arrival.

The only images captured from the event were from the official photographer, who would have been under strict instruction not to capture the F1 icon.

In fact, Scumacher’s daughter Gina has posted just one image from her wedding on social media, of herself and her new husband.

Among the attendees were his son Mick, former F1 driver for Haas, and brother Ralf Schumacher.

The ex-Williams driver came out as gay publicly this year and brought his partner, Etienne Bousquet-Cassagne to the wedding.

Gina-Maria Schumacher wrote 'Forever yes to you, yes to forever' on the only public image of her wedding

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Gina-Maria Schumacher wrote ‘Forever yes to you, yes to forever’ on the only public image of her weddingCredit: @gina_schumacher/Instagram

However, Schumacher’s former manager Willi Weber revealed he wasn’t one of the select guests who were part of the celebrations.

The 82-year-old helped represent the German driver for most of his career until a disagreement over his Mercedes comeback in 2010.

“I have had no contact with the family for over ten years,” he told Bild. “I can barely remember what even happened.

“I was not invited to the wedding, but I wouldn’t have gone anyway because my health is not good at the moment. I would not have wanted to fly to Mallorca.”

Schumacher's son Mick is currently a reserve driver for Mercedes

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Schumacher’s son Mick is currently a reserve driver for MercedesCredit: mercedes benz archive

Weber then added: “Michael was one of my best friends. More like a son that I never had.

“Nobody knows exactly what’s going on with him today, so I don’t want to comment any further.

“Gina’s wedding brings back memories. I’m thinking about my successes with Michael – our goals and our victories.

“I remember Michael the way he was. And we probably won’t see each other again.”

Schumacher changed the game in F1 before Hamilton's arrival

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Schumacher changed the game in F1 before Hamilton’s arrivalCredit: Getty

Schumacher was placed in a medically induced coma following his initial skiing accident in December 2013.

He was allowed to return to the family home on Lake Geneva in September 2014, where he has since been cared for by his loving wife Corinna and a close team of trusted professionals.

Schumacher remains one of the global figures in motorsport a decade on from his accident such was his legacy on track.

He won five of his seven titles at Ferrari from 2000 to 2004, after taking his first pair with Benetton in 1994 and 1995.

After stepping away from the sport in 2006, he returned in 2010 for Mercedes’ first season back in F1, helping put the team on a path to unparalleled success with Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff at the helm.

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