Michael Schumacher's former manager has expressed doubts that he will ever see the seven-time Formula 1 world champion again.
Willi Weber, who is now 82, was managing Schumacher when the legendary driver first entered Formula 1 in 1991. They remained close throughout Schumacher's initial career but fell out professionally in 2010, just before Schumacher's return to the sport with Mercedes.
"I have had no contact with the family for over ten years," Weber confirmed to Bild newspaper when asked if he had attended Schumacher's daughter Gina-Maria's wedding over the weekend. "I can barely remember what even happened."
"I was not invited to the wedding," he added, "but I wouldn't have gone anyway because my health is not good at the moment. I would not have wanted to fly to Mallorca."
Weber admitted that the media coverage of the wedding, including speculation about whether Schumacher, now 55, had been present, left him feeling upset.
"Michael was one of my best friends. More like a son that I never had," he said.
"Nobody knows exactly what's going on with him today, so I don't want to comment any further."
Since Schumacher's 2013 skiing accident, in which he sustained severe brain injuries, he has not been seen or heard from publicly.
At the wedding, attendees were required to surrender their smartphones, but it's believed Schumacher was not present in the garden of the family's vacation home. Flavio Briatore's ex-wife, Elisabetta Gregoraci, has claimed that Schumacher's wife Corinna "has set up a hospital" inside the home.
"Gina's wedding brings back memories. Unfortunately!" Weber continued.
"I'm thinking about my successes with Michael - our goals and our victories. I remember Michael the way he was. And we probably won't see each other again."
Weber believes that Corinna was upset by his decision not to immediately fly to France when Schumacher was first hospitalized following his accident.
"It was my fault that I didn't visit Michael after the accident and stand by him," Weber admitted.
"Because I thought the media reports were exaggerated. I thought I'd better wait a few days and then everything would be fine. But it was too late. For a long time I blamed myself for not reacting immediately," Weber added.
"Since then, I've said goodbye to Michael in my heart in order to find my peace again."
