Sports
Michael Schumacher family fear that Cora, Ralf’s ex, may break pact and reveal his condition
Michael Schumacher family fear that Cora, Ralf’s ex, may break pact and reveal his condition
Cora-Caroline Schumacher, the ex-wife of Ralf Schumacher, the younger brother of Michael, has been in the spotlight in the German press recently.
Cora entered the reality show ‘Jungle Camp,’ a kind of Survivor that has been on German television for more than 15 seasons.
Just three days after the recordings started, the model decided to leave the show “voluntarily,” as reported by the RTL channel that airs the program set in an Australian jungle.
However, ‘Bild’ has questioned this official version and link Cora Brinkmann’s departure with the “mysterious Schumi clause that the network has with the Schumacher family”.
The clause aims to prevent discussions about the health of the champion, ten years after the accident that almost claimed the life of the F1 legend.
The German tabloid claims that “the program’s producer breathed a sigh of relief after her departure because there was a certain fear of discussing topics not intended for that audience.”
The former model and TV presenter is not part of the tiny inner circle that can visit Michael, but “the network executives feared any information she might have about Michael,” according to Bild.
“There is a lot of nervousness due to Cora’s talkative nature. Almost fear. Fear that in an extreme situation (due to hunger or the stress of the competition), Cora could reveal sensitive information about Formula 1 giant Michael Schumacher,” state journalists Sven Kuschel and Nicola Pohl in the article.
Michael Schumacher family fear
What is the Schumi Pact?
The reason for such secrecy is the so-called ‘Schumi Pact,’ shadowed with the initials FSK, which in German stands for ‘Freiwillige Schumi-Kontrolle’ or ‘Voluntary Schumi Control.’
“It is a kind of gentleman’s agreement among the highest broadcasting executives on matters related to the champion’s personal and intimate sphere,” adds ‘Bild.’
This pact would focus on “being careful about certain stories related to the Kaiser, possibly about Michael Schumacher’s health or even about previous Formula 1 celebrations.”
The information suggests that they might not be able to control “certain stories from being aired in the program in case of feared ‘Cora outbursts'” during the different segments that the reality show has in a camp monitored by cameras.
READ: The story behind how Michael Schumacher helped Lewis Hamilton get rid of his greatest F1 rival exposed
Cora, 47, was part of the Schumacher family for almost 15 years and was even connected to Ralf until two years after Michael’s accident.
While she “does not belong to the narrow inner circle” that can currently access the idol, it is known that she maintains a “respectful but not overly close relationship” with Corinna Schumacher, the racer’s wife responsible for maintaining the athlete’s privacy.
Regardless of not having day-to-day access to Michael, it is known that cousins Mick and David, who is also a driver, “have regular contact,” due to their professions.
Swiss news site ‘Blick’ claims that Cora was “the candidate many were waiting for, and the reasons for her departure are still unclear,” while reviewing rumors about health issues, such as a previous infection or an unrecovered herniated disc.
Some media even raised the question of a supposed “confidentiality agreement” within the family.
The ‘Bild’ correspondent in Australia assures that a friend of Cora spread the “suspicion that a letter had arrived in Australia because Cora was revealing many things around the campfire,” but the woman herself spoke to the newspaper: she denied having received any warning and stated that she can “say whatever she wants about the family since there is no confidentiality agreement.”
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A former Ferrari engineer has criticised the decision to bring in Lewis Hamilton and thinks the Brit’s presence will mean “a lot of potential for drama”.
At the age of 40, seven-time Formula 1 champion Hamilton will form a formidable driver partnership with Charles Leclerc. His big switch comes at the expense of Carlos Sainz, who has performed well for the Italian squad but who was axed so they had room for their blockbuster new signing.
But not everyone of a Ferrari persuasion is convinced that it will go well. Ernest Knoors, who spent many years as an engineer at Maranello, specialising in power units, worries that Hamilton’s presence could do more harm than good for a team that is finding its groove under Frederic Vasseur.
“A big name like Hamilton also brings a lot of politics and if politics within Ferrari are not managed well, then there is a lot of potential for drama,” he told Formule1.nl. “Hamilton has the tendency that if things do not work out, he turns his whole car upside down and starts experimenting.
“Ferrari believes very much in the big personalities and will follow him. But Hamilton is just someone you have to guide a little bit and not give the freedom to rebuild the whole car, because then it will go completely wrong. So I do not know if it is such a smart move, but of course it is nice for the sport.”
News of Hamilton’s planned move broke on February 1, coinciding with football’s Transfer Deadline Day. That the back pages of many newspapers were dominated by the decision of Hamilton to swap Mercedes for Ferrari was testament to the magnitude of the announcement.
Sainz was not surprised as he had been informed by his team of the plan ahead of it being made public. But the Spaniard responded well with two victories to date this season and five further appearances on the podium, on the way to what looks likely to be a fifth-placed finish in the championship – two spots and 54 points ahead of Hamilton.
Sainz has signed for Williams next year and, after several years of running at the front of the grid, will focus on his new challenge of helping restore one of the grid’s most historic teams to its former glory. But Knoors believes he should have been kept on by Ferrari instead.
The Dutchman added: “I see Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari more as a PR move. With all due respect, Hamilton is not going to take that Ferrari from P6 to P1. He will get the most out of it, but what Ferrari has to do is make that car faster. And if you make that car faster, you can easily drive at the front with the current line-up.
“Besides, as a team you have to look further on the horizon. If Hamilton becomes champion in the coming years, he and Ferrari will become immortal. But if you want to build a team with talent for the next five years, are you going to build on Hamilton? No, because he will really be finished after two or three years. That is why I would have kept the very strong line-up that Ferrari has now.”
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Chase Elliott had a front-row seat for one of NASCAR’s most bizarre moments of the 2024 Cup Series season. At the start of Stage 2, the pace car dove onto pit road in front of Elliott; however, it was a tad too late. The pace car made contact with the sand barrels at the entry of pit road and caused a red flag for cleanup.
Initially, there was some speculation on the NBC Sports broadcast, even from the No. 9 team, that Elliott made contact with the pace car. Fortunately, the pace car didn’t slide across the No. 9 car’s nose, but it undoubtedly provided one of NASCAR’s craziest red flag moments in recent memory.
Below, you can listen to Elliott and the No. 9 team react to the pace car crashing into the sand barrels on pit road at Phoenix during Championship Weekend!
Reflecting on the recent retirement of 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., Earnhardt didn’t mince words about the toll NASCAR takes on its drivers. Speaking candidly, the two-time Daytona 500 winner admitted that the pressure to perform every week left him feeling miserable for most of his racing career—a sentiment he believes is shared by many of his peers.
“Right or wrong, racing made me a miserable person 90% of the time,” Earnhardt confessed. “And him too. I mean, ask Kyle Busch, ask anybody—unless you’re winning, you’re not happy.”
For these elite drivers, the sport is a relentless grind. A podium finish might bring temporary relief, but anything short of victory is often a source of frustration. The immense effort poured into preparation and execution rarely feels like it pays off unless the checkered flag is theirs.
Earnhardt highlighted the mental toll of falling short, explaining how the relentless focus on winning can overshadow the joy of simply competing. Even a solid performance feels hollow compared to the euphoria of a win.
“Unless you’re winning, you’re not happy at all,” he said. “You’re okay with a good run, but for the most part, all the effort it takes just to run good—it doesn’t weigh out.”
For drivers, the stakes are sky-high every week. Sponsors, fans, and teams demand nothing less than excellence, leaving little room for error or personal satisfaction in anything less than a dominant performance.
Earnhardt also shared insights into his friendship with Martin Truex Jr., who recently announced his retirement. While the two often spend time hunting together during NASCAR’s off-season, Earnhardt noted that the stress of racing even creeps into their leisure activities.
“When I’m with him during hunting season, it’s always in the back of his mind,” Earnhardt said. “It’s that stressful part of the year when he’s as miserable as he’s going to be.”
Now, with Truex stepping away from the track, Earnhardt looks forward to seeing a lighter, happier version of his long-time friend. Without the weight of weekly competition hanging over him, Truex might finally be able to relax and enjoy the outdoor lifestyle he cherishes.
“It’ll be fun to see him loosen up,” Earnhardt added.
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