LONDON — Michael Schumacher's wife Corinna has opened up on touching memories of the seven-time world champion in a new Netflix documentary, offering rare insight into the German superstar who has not been seen in public since suffering severe head injuries in a skiing accident in 2013. The film, entitled Schumacher '94: The Birth of a Legend and releasing this week, details his first world championship-winning Formula 1 season, while the Schumacher family has remained incredibly private with few details emerging about his condition.
Corinna recalled their shared song and the scale of fan mail Schumacher received at the height of his early fame. "That was our song back then," she said of Paula Abdul's Rush Rush. "When I hear it today and I'm in the car, I cry to myself." She added, "He received a lot of it," noting one admirer in particular: "Also from a young girl who always sent underwear along with his mail. Her name was Jutta. At some point, 'Come on, Jutta,' became his standard phrase."
Schumacher's condition is never mentioned in the new documentary, but Corinna offered a personal reflection on their bond. "My heart beats for him when he wins. And when he loses. My heart is always there," she said. "When you're with someone you look forward to seeing every day, it's wonderful."
The documentary centers on Schumacher's breakthrough with Benetton in the 1994 season, when he beat Damon Hill to the title in a controversial finale in Adelaide, before winning the title again with Benetton in 1995 and making his big move to Ferrari for the 1996 season. He was in the title hunt in 1999 when he suffered a broken leg in a crash at the British Grand Prix, though he returned before the end of the season, and finally won his first world title in Ferrari colours in 2000 after a battle with Mika Hakkinen in the McLaren. That began a dominant period with titles in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. He retired for the first time at the end of 2006, returned in 2010 with Mercedes, scored just one podium at Valencia in 2012, and retired for good at the end of that year.