The day that changed everything
On December 29, 2013, the world of Formula 1 was shocked by the news of a very serious accident involving Michael Schumacher in the French Alps, more precisely in Meribél. The seven-time world champion, on vacation with his family at a ski resort, fell and hit his head violently against a rock. His condition seemed immediately critical, with the German being airlifted by helicopter to the hospital in Grenoble after urgent first aid on site.
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An apparent “joke”
Even today, more than twelve years after the event, the family has maintained total secrecy about the former Ferrari driver’s health condition. However, the pilot in charge of the helicopter that landed in Meribél, Yannick Dainese, told L’Equipe what happened that day and what his first reaction was: “A rescuer jumped out of the helicopter with the doctor and told me ‘Let’s go to Schumacher!’. At first I thought he was joking. But when the commander ordered us to remove the microphones and GoPros and forbid journalists from accompanying us, I realized it was true.”
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The flight to Grenoble
Dainese, who admitted he is not a fan of F1, recalled how the flight to the hospital was completely silent, with all crew members never speaking until they reached the hospital: “Unconsciously, I felt the pressure because I knew he was revered like a god. But to me, he was just another seriously injured person”.
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