Schumacher family assures fans he is being well cared for

The family of the seven-times Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher has assured fans he is being well cared for as they prepare to celebrate his 50th birthday on Thursday.

Schumacher, who retired from racing in 2012, has not been seen in public since he suffered severe head injuries in a skiing accident five years ago. The German is being cared for at home in Switzerland.

“You can be sure that he is in the very best of hands and that we are doing everything humanly possible to help him,” the family said in a statement that made a rare comment about his condition.

The Guardian reports that the family said “Please understand if we are following Michael’s wishes and keeping such a sensitive subject as health, as it has always been, in privacy.”

Ross Brawn, who helped mastermind Schumacher’s success at Benetton and Ferrari, and has visited the former champion in Switzerland, says the driver’s wife, Corinna, and family are right to be guarded over the information they release.

“I am constantly in touch with Corinna, and I totally agree with their decision,” Brawn told the Press Association. “Michael has always been a very private person and that’s been a guiding principle in his career, his life and his family always agreed with that choice.

“It’s completely understandable that Corinna has wanted to maintain the same approach, even after the tragic event, and it’s a decision we must all respect. I’m sure the millions of people who are still Michael fans will understand it, too.”