Michael Schumacher treated with 'beneath contempt' as row erupts over honour amid F1 icon's health battle

Schumacher has lived his life away from the spotlight ever since a tragic skiing accident in the French Alps back in December 2013.

The F1 icon hit his head on a rock and. though he was later allowed to return home after being placed in a medically induced coma, hasn't been seen in public in the years since.

The Schumacher family have always maintained that 'private is private' and that they're protecting the racing hero in the same way he protected them during his prime years in the sport.

While he was born in Hurth, he became closely associated with Kerpen during his time as an F1 racer.

But local politicians decided in November that he wouldn't be granted an honourary citizenship, with Kerpen mayor Dieter Spurck defending the decision.

“Kerpen does not have a code of honour," he told Bild.

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“It is up to the city council to decide on the introduction of a code of honour with corresponding honorary citizenship and its criteria.

“At its council meeting on 19 March 2024, the council of the Kolping City of Kerpen unanimously decided to postpone the matter of awarding honorary citizenship to Michael Schumacher.

“The parliamentary groups and the non-attached city councillors should first reach an intergroup agreement on whether honorary citizenship should be introduced.

“To date, the city administration has not received a new application on this topic from politicians.”

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Yet Reiner Ferling, the chairman of the Schumacher fan club, has accused the area of treating the legend with 'beneath contempt'.

Mr Ferling fumed: “The way Michael is treated as a person is beneath contempt.

"I’m really angry.

“The city can’t bring itself to appoint someone as an honourary citizen who has won seven World Championship titles for us.”

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Schumacher's brother, Ralf Schumacher, has also condemned the decision.

“That’s typical of Germany and our politics," he said.

“Nothing surprises me any more about the SPD [Social Democratic Party of Germany]. Performance is apparently no longer important.

“When you think about what my brother has done for Kerpen through his success, I’m simply lost for words.”

Meanwhile, Schumacher continues to recover from his accident behind closed doors.

Reports emerged recently suggesting that he'd made his first public appearance in 11 years at the wedding of his daughter, Gina-Maria.

However, there has been nothing to substantiate those claims and it's currently unknown of Schumacher was there for his daughter's big day.