Formula One great Schumacher nears 50

As Michael Schumacher nears his 50th birthday, Formula One, Mercedes and Ferrari will highlight the seven-time world champion's remarkable career and talents.

Michael Schumacher

Formula One legend Michael Schumacher will soon turn 50, as he continues to fight brain injuries. (AAP)

Michael Schumacher is in Formula One's thoughts as the seven-time world champion approaches his 50th birthday, five years on from the near-fatal skiing accident that has left the Ferrari great fighting brain injuries amid ongoing secrecy.

The German, still the most-successful driver in terms of grand-prix wins (91) and titles, will reach his half-century on January 3.

Formula One's focus will be on highlighting the remarkable career and talents of a man, whose fame stretches well beyond the track, having enthused a legion of fans in the 1990s and early 2000s.

The Ferrari museum at Maranello in Italy is planning a special exhibition, opening on his birthday and lasting several months, "both as a celebration and a mark of gratitude to the most successful Prancing Horse driver ever".

Mercedes, his last F1 team before his 2012 retirement, will display some of his cars at their Stuttgart museum.

Formula One management will also dedicate a week to Schumacher on social media platforms, including exclusive interviews with many of those who had been part of Schumacher's F1 story.

"We are going to celebrate Michael's birthday," said a spokesman.

Schumacher remains a big part of the sport's narrative, with Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton a five-time world champion with 73 wins and getting closer to the German's greatest records.

Hanging over it all will be strong sadness - just as every anniversary since his fall on December 29, 2013, while skiing off piste near Meribel in the French Alps with his family.

Schumacher hit his head on a rock and spent months in an artificial coma.

"We think a lot about him," Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolff told Reuters. "He was an exceptional sportsman, and he's missed.

"As a seven-times world champion, he's missed within the paddock; he's missed as a consultant to us - somebody we've been looking up to. We hope that his recovery continues to be positive and that's the most important thing."

Just how positive, or otherwise, is a matter of considerable conjecture and one met with resolute silence from wife Corinna, the family and those who have always been part of Schumacher's innermost circle.

They would prefer the world remembered Schumacher as the champion he was, rather than the different kind of fighter he had become.


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Source: AAP



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