Michael Schumacher turned 57 on 3 January, and although the former F1 champion has been out of the spotlight since a skiing accident in December 2013, his daughter, Gina-Maria Bethke, shared a gorgeous tribute.
The equestrian shared a photo from her childhood, where Michael looked to be an incredibly doting father. In the family snap, a young Gina-Maria was seen with Michael, mother Corinna and younger brother Mick, alongside two of the family’s dogs.
One of the dogs could be seen on Corinna’s lap, while the other was mostly out of shot. But what the picture captured was the unadulterated family joy. Michael and Corinna could both be seen laughing as Gina-Maria sat on her father’s lap, with Mick to their left.
In her caption, the athlete said: “The best forever. Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag Papa.” This translates as: “Happy birthday papa.”
Fans also shared messages for the seven-time world champion, with one writing: “Happy birthday to the best F1 Driver. Auguri Michael!” A second added: “He’s still our greatest hero and legend. Happy Birthday.”
A third posted: “All the best Michael and strength from heaven should come to you and your family,” while a fourth commented: “Beautiful family!! His biggest achievement!!”
The birthday also marked a personal milestone for the driver, as it was his first since he became a grandfather in March 2025. Gina-Maria and her husband, Iain Bethke, welcomed their daughter, Millie, on 29 March. Sharing news of the arrival, Gina-Maria said: “Welcome to the world, Millie. Born on March 29th, our hearts are fuller than ever. We are beyond blessed to have you in our lives.”
Michael’s skiing accident
Michael sustained a devastating and near-fatal head injury in December 2013 while skiing in the Alps. While descending a mountain in an off-piste area, he fell and hit his head on a rock, sustaining a head injury which also damaged his helmet. Doctors said at the time that he would have likely died on impact if he hadn’t been wearing a helmet.
Due to suffering a traumatic brain injury, the racing star was placed into an induced coma. By April of the following year, he began to show promising signs and consciousness, so he was taken out of the coma before then being transferred to a rehabilitation centre in Switzerland to continue treatment.
© Vladimir Rys, GettyThe following September, he was taken home to continue his ongoing recovery at the family’s estate, Villa La Reserve’ located on the edge of Lake Geneva in the town of Gland near Nyon.
Since then, the star’s health has been kept private, with his family opting to keep the driver out of the public eye. The family have occasionally spoken out about his accident in general and their relationship, but the finer details on how he is are kept under wraps.
© GettyIn the Netflix documentary, Schumacher, Corinna reflected: “I have never blamed God for what happened. It was just really bad luck, all the bad luck anyone can have in life. It’s always terrible when you say, ‘Why is this happening to Michael or us?’ But then why does it happen to other people?
“Of course, I miss Michael every day. But it’s not just me who misses him. The children, the family, his father, everyone around him. I mean, everybody misses Michael.”
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