The children of legendary Formula One driver Michael Schumacher have been making names for themselves in both the racetrack and on horseback. However, his health status remains unchanged.
According to John Hall of the Daily Mail, Schumacher's 17-year-old daughter, Gina Maria Schumacher, took part in a riding event at a horse show in Germany last month.
"The 17-year-old was one of the participants in the NRHA European Futurity Horse Show in the Bavarian town of Kreuth and looked every inch the professional rider throughout the tournament," Hall wrote. "Dressed in a variety of elaborately decorated cowboy-style outfits and wearing a brown Stetson hat, Miss Schumacher was seen riding a number of different horses as she took part in what is known as the 'First Go-Round 2nd Section.'"
Hall reported that Schumacher's son, 16-year-old Mick Schumacher, has returned to the racing circuit just weeks after surviving a 100 mph crash. He made his pre-season Formula 4 test debut at the Oschersleben circuit in Germany.
"Mick, whose father Michael won the Formula 1 championship seven times, reached the new category after seven years of karting in what is seen as a stepping stone for junior drivers hoping to reach the top," Hall wrote.
According to Kate Connolly of The Guardian, Schumacher's son drove under the family name for the first time. In addition, a "protective shield" has been placed around Mick, which includes his mother, his father's former rivals and friends in the sport, and manager Sabine Kehm.
"We musn't forget this is a young man who has only just turned 16," Kehm said, adding that the media should exercise restraint in its attention to him.
Former Formula One driver Gerhard Berger of Austria told Connolly that Mick's family name could be a burden, noting that it would be "quite tough for Mick to be treading in his father's footsteps." However, he thought Mick would have a bright future in motorsport.
"I know him a bit and he's a good lad, with both feet on the ground and the racing bug within him," Berger said. "He grew up in this environment and it is his life. He's not in any danger of being imbalanced by it."
According to the Guardian, Berger thought that Mick embraced the sport as a way to cope with his father's devastating accident and grave condition. He added that Mick was attempting to "blend out the subject surrounding his father and to go his own way."
"He is being strongly supported by his mother," Berger said.
As for Schumacher's health status, Connolly reported that his condition remained "extremely serious" despite the fact he's been receiving intensive therapy at his home in Switzerland.
"Tents have been erected around his house so the media cannot photograph him in his wheelchair," Connolly wrote.
