Michael Schumacher’s daughter gives rare interview on dad’s ski accident | F1 | Sport

Plenty of talking points have emerged from the opening three rounds of the 2026 F1 season. Mercedes have lived up to their billing as pre-season favourites, with George Russell triumphing at the season opener in Australia and Kimi Antonelli claiming victory in both China and Japan.

Ferrari have been pushing the Silver Arrows all the way, with Lewis Hamilton finally claiming his maiden podium for the legendary Italian outfit, while it has been a difficult beginning for reigning world champion Lando Norris, who finds himself fifth in the standings. Nevertheless, it is Max Verstappen who has dominated the headlines following his repeated condemnation of the sport’s new regulations.

The four-time world champion has made no secret of his displeasure with the changes, which demand constant management of the car’s electrical energy, and has indicated he is prepared to walk away completely. With the sport currently in the midst of a month-long break following the cancellation of the Saudi Arabia and Bahrain Grands Prix, here is a summary of the latest F1 news…

Verstappen told to shut it

Verstappen, who has likened the current regulations to “Formula E on steroids,” has been told to either stop complaining or leave the sport altogether. That message has been delivered by ex-F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya.

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The Colombian, who raced for Williams and McLaren during the early 2000s, told Casinostugan: “If you’re unhappy with being in Formula 1, you should leave. Have the courage of your convictions. If you’re unhappy with the rules, then talk to people instead of threatening that you’re going to leave.

“If I were him, I’d shut up, deal with it and admit that he’s in a s**** car and admit he’s frustrated because his car is a piece of c*** that is 20 kilos over and it’s going to be uncompetitive all year. At the end of the day, nobody’s bigger than the sport.”

Schumacher’s daughter speaks out

Michael Schumacher’s daughter has spoken candidly about how she immersed herself in horse riding after her father’s catastrophic skiing accident. The seven-time F1 champion hasn’t been seen publicly since sustaining life-changing head injuries from a fall in late 2013.

While Schumacher’s son, Mick, went on to pursue motorsport, completing two seasons in F1 with Haas, his daughter, Gina, chose to follow her love of equestrianism.

Gina disclosed in her forthcoming documentary, Horsepower: The World of Gina Schumacher, how her father’s accident impacted her. She said: “After dad’s accident, I really threw myself into it because I had to do something.

“The horses have always been important. But since then they’ve really been… I couldn’t do without horses. They helped me get through everything.

“She [my mother] used to have a horse, and when we were younger, she wanted to start again. But she wanted a safe horse. Then she was in Dubai with dad, and they rode Arabians. Dad fell off one.

“There was a Quarter Horse next to it, and he was there to calm the others down. Mum said she wanted a horse like that.”

Ferrari snubbed Antonelli

Ferrari had the opportunity to secure Antonelli as a youngster, but declined because of his physical frame. Given his nationality, many would have anticipated the Italian outfit to be leading the charge to capture the racing prodigy.

Ferrari had the possibility to sign an 11-year-old Antonelli, only for former Scuderia boss Maurizio Arrivabene to allow him to escape their grasp. According to The Race, Massimo Rivola, then head of Ferrari’s driver academy, believed he had discovered “the special one” for the future.

However, Arrivabene felt Antonelli was “too small” and opted against bringing him into Ferrari’s young driver programme. That allowed Mercedes, who had previously missed out on securing a young Verstappen, to pounce and sign him.