Michael Schumacher's €15M blackmail scandal uncovered as family targetted with threats to reveal driver's confidential images: Reports
Former seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher's €15 million blackmail scandal will go to trial. The former Ferrari driver's family found themselves on the receiving end of a million-dollar blackmail threat from three people, with one of them being their former bodyguard.
The bodyguard in question, Markus Fritsche, had worked for the German family and was fired eight years ago, threatening to expose the 55-year-old's medical records, which he stole. He had stolen over 1500 confidential files along with USB devices and hard drives.
The stolen files include photographs, medical documents, etc. of Schumacher, whose health has been kept out of the public eye ever since his skiing accident in late 2013.
As reported by Marca, Fritsche along with his two accomplices, had demanded €15M from the Schumacher family in exchange for not making the stolen information public.
The group was arrested by the German police in July 2024, with the investigation being concluded two months later. If the three alleged blackmailers are found guilty, they could face up to four years in prison.
F1 Insider makes a comparison between Max Verstappen and Michael Schumacher
F1 insider and former team principal Eddie Jordan stated that current four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen was Michael Schumacher "in disguise".
While appearing on the Formula for Success podcast, the 76-year-old gave his take on the Red Bull driver's performance at the Mexican GP last month and said:
“Yes, he was very, very tough in Mexico. Listen, we know he is Michael Schumacher in disguise, isn’t he? Honestly! Max is just a demon when he gets into that car. Puts the helmet on and the horns grow."
His co-host and former F1 driver David Coulthard too agreed with the analogy and added:
“Basically what Max has done, he’s the modern-day Michael Schumacher in that he’s prepared to push the boundaries to find out where the sporting lines are. I think that absolutely is part of his DNA, part of his success, is the fact that every single driver knows that they have got to fight fire with fire."
The similarities in their personalities weren't lost on Max Verstappen, who told Bild that he, just like the German, "gives everything": He said:
"I don't care about compliments. I want to win, and I always give everything to do that. I think that's what connects me with drivers like Michael. He also never left anything untried to have the greatest possible chance of success.
"Both in the car with his driving style and outside when it came to developing the car. There is no room for fear, but you also have to use your common sense.”
The 27-year-old is currently three championships and 28 race wins behind the figures of Schumacher but does have some time to catch up with the German legend.