Michael Schumacher's secret wish to 'disappear' before tragic accident

Michael Schumacher and his wife Corinna in 2011. Photo / Getty Images

Michael Schumacher's manager has revealed how the Formula 1 star told her of his secret wish to retreat from public life.

Over two years on from his near death experience on the slopes of the French Alps, the 47-year-old is still recovering at his vast home on the shore of Lake Geneva in Switzerland.

Sabine Kehm, who also manages Schumacher's son, Mick, said the former German world champion had intended to "disappear" from the media spotlight.

It is for this reason both she and Schumacher's family have remained tight-lipped about his current condition and his recovery.

At a seminar for journalists and media professionals held in Munich Ms Kehm said how Schumacher had revealed his desire to disappear, the Mirror reported.

"Once in a long discussion Michael said to me: 'You don't need to call me for the next year, I'm disappearing.'

"I think it was his secret dream to be able to do that some day. That's why now I still want to protect his wishes in that I don't let anything get out."

The former F1 star sustained his life-threatening head injury on December 29 2013 while he was skiing in Meribel, France, with his son, Mick, despite wearing a ski helmet.

He was airlifted to Grenoble Hospital where doctors performed two life-saving operations and put him in a medically induced coma because of traumatic brain injury.

After Schumacher sustained his severe head injury on December 29 2013, his manager, who was on holiday at the time, was almost immediately bombarded by the world's press looking for information.

"The message reached me as news often does; I got a call, asking if I could confirm that Michael had had an accident," she said.

"I could not confirm it, as I was on vacation, as many others were at the time.

"After five minutes a journalist insulted me, asking why I would not confirm the accident.

"I received a lot of calls that afternoon and even tried to get information and to reach Michael myself.

"We had to try to protect the hospital with security , We had to keep away the journalists, because otherwise it would have been medically difficult.

"I understand that you have to report it, and that there is a lot of interest. But I believe that journalists must also ask themselves what and how to report an incident.

"The parking and the hospital hallway were very busy. Visitors of other patients were asked if they knew what was going on. It was chaotic."

In April 2014 Schumacher was gradually eased out of his medically induced coma and by June had regained consciousness and left the hospital for further rehabilitation at a Swiss clinic.

Now at home, the star still uses a wheelchair and has speech and memory problems. Ms Kehm said he is making a slow progress, but it is unclear if he will ever make a full recovery.

- Daily Mail