News concerning Michael Schumacher's health situation continues to be aggressively guarded by his manager Sabine Kehm, who has especially kept a tight lid over media outlets in Europe. The F1 racing champion is currently recovering at his Swiss home overlooking Lake Geneva.
An Italian-language publication recently noted that Kehm has been particularly effective in both Switzerland and Schumacher's native Germany.
"This silence among the media in Germany and Switzerland is especially surprising, as they would have more direct sources," Autosprint wrote in a statement that was translated on World Car Fans. "The explanation lies in the conduct of Sabine Kehm, Schumacher's manager, who systematically sends legal letters threatening lawsuits when a newspaper spreads the slightest information about the health of the German driver."
Autosprint added that members of Schumacher's medical staff were required to sign confidentiality agreements as well. Privacy has also been maintained by an increased security presence around Schumacher's spacious property. Along with Kehm, Schumacher's wife Corinna has kept a distance from reporters.
In summer 2014, Schumacher's medical records were stolen and put on sale by unknown perpetrators. Investigators arrested a man who worked for the helicopter ambulance company that arranged Schumacher's transfer from France to Switzerland. The suspect was later found hanging in his cell prior to the scheduled court hearing. Circumstances regarding his death remain a mystery to this day.
Meanwhile, Schumacher has been receiving around-the-clock care from a team of 15 specialists including doctors and nurses. Every day, the team spends hours massaging Schumacher's body to stimulate muscle mass. Unconfirmed reports suggest that the 46-year-old is unable to speak, and is bound to the wheelchair.
Schumacher awoke from a medically-induced coma in June last year, after having sustained a significant head injury following a ski accident in the French Alps in December 2013. The retired racecar driver is best remembered for winning seven world titles. Schumacher won five or his seven world titles with Ferrari. The actual state of Schumacher's condition remains unclear in a media silence that has continually been enforced by his family.
A few weeks prior, Schumacher's 16-year-old son Mick made his official pre-season test debut for the German Formula Four. This division is regarded in racing circles as a stepping stone toward the more prestigious F1. Following in his father's footsteps, the younger Schumacher got his start in go-kart racing at age nine. Since then, Mick has signed a deal with Van Amersfoort.
