Michael Schumacher’s signature on Jackie Stewart’s helmet stirs emotions among F1 fans

Dubai: Formula 1 icon Jackie Stewart drove a tribute lap in his 1973 Tyrrell ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday — but it was the white helmet he wore that truly moved fans. Adorned with the Royal Stewart Tartan and bearing the signatures of all 20 living F1 world champions, it also featured two understated but powerful initials: MS for Michael Schumacher.

“His wife (Corinna) helped him, and he completed the helmet with every champion’s signature,” an emotional Stewart told the Daily Mail.

The 85-year-old Stewart, a three-time world champion, was back behind the wheel of his title-winning car to raise awareness for Race Against Dementia, the charity he founded to support research into the disease. Stewart has been caring for his wife Helen, who lives with dementia.

“It is wonderful that Michael could sign the helmet in this worthy cause — a disease for which there is no cure,” Stewart said on Saturday. “To find a cure for dementia is my biggest wish,” he told the BBC earlier this month, adding that Helen now requires specialist care and has recently been unable to recognise him.

Schumacher, a seven-time world champion, has been recovering from a severe brain injury sustained in a skiing accident in 2013. Since emerging from a coma six months after the incident, few updates have been shared about his condition. He has been receiving care at his home in Switzerland.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers in the sport’s history, Schumacher retired in 2006 after a glittering career that began in 1991. He returned in 2010 for a three-year stint but managed just one podium before stepping away from racing for good.

The German legend reportedly made his first public appearance in 11 years at his daughter Gina-Maria’s wedding in October 2024. Last month, Gina-Maria and her long-term partner Iain Bethke welcomed their first child.

Sharing the news on Instagram, she wrote: “Welcome to the world, Millie. Born on March 29, our hearts are fuller than ever. We are beyond blessed to have you in our lives.”

Schumacher may be out of the spotlight, but through small, powerful gestures like this one, his legacy continues to inspire — both on and off the track.