29th December is one of the darkest days in the history of Formula 1. It was today, 10 years ago that Michael Schumacher suffered a terrible skiing accident in Merbil, France that changed his life forever. Despite wearing a helmet and not skiing excessively fast for his abilities, the head-on impact with a rock split his helmet in two, sending him into a coma for 250 days.

Ever since that fateful day, the legendary Schumacher has been on the road to recovery that has been concealed from the world. Except for the rare updates from his wife Corina and his son Mick Schumacher, the world has no idea what has become of the 7-time world champion. Sad as it may be for us to have lost the presence of Michael in the sport, today is perhaps the best day to honor and remember his life and his career. And one of his more hilarious Formula 1 stories surfaced recently that involves his love of Japanese food.

Michael Schumacher once forgot to return a special Japanese plate to former F1 chef

Dave Freeman, with over two decades of culinary experience, transitioned from being a general chef in the Army to catering to some of the biggest names in motorsport. His journey began in 1997 when an opportunity to cater for the Williams-Renault factory changed the course of his career. One unique aspect of Freeman’s cooking was his expertise in Japanese cuisine. Surprisingly, Michael Schumacher developed a fondness for Freeman’s sushi.

“Even though he was nothing to do with Honda, he liked Japanese food,“ Freeman told BBC Sport. “So his physio, Balbir Singh, used to come down and get him a plate of sushi after qualifying, and this used to happen everywhere.“

“I bought this really nice black Japanese plate just for Michael to make it extra special. This one time, unfortunately, when his mother died, we were in San Marino. He had the food on the Saturday and he flew back to be with her, and then he came back the next day and won the race,” he continued.

“I never got my plate back, so the following race I said to Balbir, ‘Where’s my plate?’ ” Singh explained that Schumacher now kept it in his house. When Freeman joked that it had cost him a hundred quid, a marketing guy ran up to him with a checkbook!

“A while after, I saw Michael in Monaco and I said ‘Where’s my plate, you thief!’ and we had a really good laugh over it,“ he concluded the story.

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Amidst the continued secrecy of Schumacher’s health updates, his ex-manager, who never got to see Michael since his accident, opens up about his feelings.

Ex-Manager Willi Weber says he has lost all hope

The Formula 1 community fondly remembers Michael Schumacher’s cheerful moments, but worries about his health continue. There are few updates available to the public, and the information is limited to statements from his lawyer and son Mick, providing little insight into the current condition of the racing legend.

Willi Weber, Schumacher’s former manager during much of his F1 career, recently spoke exclusively to Express.de, expressing regret for not visiting Schumacher immediately after the tragic accident. Reflecting on their relationship, Weber shared his deep sorrow, saying, “When I think about Michael now, unfortunately, I no longer have any hope of seeing him again.“

Weber’s frustration grew as attempts to contact Corinna, Schumacher’s wife, proved unresponsive. The emotional toll led him to distance himself from Michael.

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But even ten years later, on this day, we celebrate the human spirit of Michael Schumacher, embracing the enduring bonds he formed over a shared love for sushi on a special Japanese plate.