Picture of F1 icon Michael Schumacher shared ‘to kill the longing’ | F1 | Sport

Michael Schumacher’s friend has collaborated with fellow Formula One icon Felipe Massa to share a nostalgic snap of the iconic German on Instagram. Schumacher hasn’t been seen publicly since his tragic skiing accident 12 years ago.

The seven-time world title-winner dominated the track during his heyday, winning five consecutive Drivers’ Championships from 2000 to 2004 with Ferrari. In his final season with La Scuderia in 2006, Brazilian star Massa partnered him on the grid. He finished third, while Schumacher was pipped to the title by Fernando Alonso.

Schumacher called time on his career that year but returned for a stint with Mercedes from 2010 until 2012. One year after leaving the sport behind for good, the 56-year-old was skiing when he hit his head and suffered a severe injury. He has been kept out of the public eye since, but his friend Dudu Sartor has collaborated with Massa to share a sentimental snap of him.

Schumacher was placed into a medically induced coma after being airlifted to hospital post-accident. He reportedly remained in this state for six months. After being moved to a hospital in Switzerland, his rehabilitation continued at home. He and his family moved to Mallorca, Spain, in 2017, where he continues his treatment.

Now, friend Sartor, along with Massa, have posted a photo of themselves and Schumacher with what is assumed to be a group of friends with the caption: “Just to kill the longing!! We’re together, little brother,” while tagging both Massa and Schumacher’s Instagram accounts.

Fans in the comments were quick to laud the tragic but joyful memory, with one commenting: “What a picture, my friends.” Another added: “Missing the great Schumacher!”

No pictures of Schumacher after his accident have been made public, and in fact, a blackmail case involving alleged photographs was concluded this week.

Three suspects threatened to release 900 personal photos, nearly 600 videos, and medical records. They demanded that Schumacher’s family pay £12million to prevent these files from being leaked. Markus F., the family’s security guard, was accused of transferring the files to the other suspects for a “five-figure sum.”

After the ruling, Yilmaz T. received a three-year prison sentence, his son, Daniel L., was handed a six-month suspended sentence, and security guard Markus F. was given a two-year suspended sentence.

Yet, Schumacher’s wife, Corinna, does not approve of the sentences and has appealed for harsher punishment: “We have appealed against what we consider to be the far too lenient sentence for Mr F. In my opinion, he was the mastermind behind this. What still shocks me most is the massive breach of trust. He should receive a punishment that deters any potential copycats.”