When seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher sustained a severe head injury in a skiing accident in 2013, he was placed in a medically-induced coma for several months. After recovering in a private hospital in Lusanne, Switzerland, he went home in 2014 and his health became a closely-guarded topic restricted to his immediate family. He hasn’t been seen since.
Netflix announced back in June that a documentary was in the works about Schumacher’s life, and was blessed by Schumacher’s family. The film features interviews with his wife Corinna, brother and fellow F1 driver Ralf, and his two now-grown children Gina-Maria and Mick (now an F1 racer himself). It's presumed to be a peek inside the highlights of Schumacher’s career and maybe even how he’s doing now, but I'd expect it to gloss over any hard details or current photos. Virals All Sports R on YouTube put together an English-dubbed version of the just-released trailer so non-German speakers can watch and understand it too.
“The greatest challenge for the directors was certainly to find the balance between independent reporting and consideration for the family,” said director Vanessa Nöcker in a statement. “Corinna Schumacher herself was our greatest support in this. She herself wanted to make an authentic film, to show Michael as he is, with all his ups and downs, without any sugarcoating."
At the time of the accident, Schumacher was relatively new to the retirement scene after a comeback attempt. His career was speckled with exhilarating wins and some controversial incidents, like the time he nudged Jaguar driver Derek Warwick. The British driver and Schumacher tangled in the pits and fisticuffs nearly ensued, according to Formula 1 motorsport boss Ross Brawn. No word yet on whether that dustup will end up in the documentary or not.
Billed as “the ultimate documentary of Formula 1 icon Michael Schumacher” by Netflix, the streaming service promises interviews with F1 icons Sebastian Vettel, Mika Häkkinen, Flavio Briatore, Damon Hill, Jean Todt, and Bernie Ecclestone as well as previously unreleased archive footage.
For F1 fans or curious onlookers wondering about this racing icon and his life, this should be an interesting view; it debuts at 2 AM CT on September 15 in the U.S.
Got a tip? Send the writer a note: kristin.shaw@thedrive.com