"This is typical Germany" - Ralf Schumacher lashes out as Michael Schumacher denied honorary citizenship in his hometown of Kerpen

Former F1 driver and pundit Ralf Schumacher expressed his feelings after his brother Michael Schumacher was denied honorary citizenship in his hometown in Kerpen, Germany. The former Ferrari legend was the first German F1 world champion, winning the title in 1994, and went on to win the championship a further six times.

Schumacher is arguably the greatest driver in the sport's history given his records and the impact at the pinnacle of motorsport. He started his race career in his hometown of Kerpen. His father Rolf Schumacher worked as a manager at the local karting track, and Michael quickly became a prodigy, with great levels of success in the junior categories.

Despite becoming a household name and bringing Kerpen into the limelight by opposing the closing-down of the karting circuit until 2020, the former Mercedes driver was denied honorary citizenship by the council, which voted against the gesture.

Michael Schumacher's brother Ralf, who raced in F1 for a decade alongside his older brother, took to Instagram to express his feelings. Regarding the decision, he wrote:

"This is typical Germany and our politics. Nothing surprises me at the SPD anymore. Seems like performance doesn't matter anymore. When you think about what my brother has done for Kerpen through his success, I simply lack words for something like this."

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Kerpen council member's take on Michael Schumacher being denied honorary citizenship

Kerpen council member Andreas Lipp said facilitating Michael Schumacher with honorary citizenship " currently made no sense." He told the Kolner Stadtanzeiger newspaper:

"It currently makes no sense. We simply have other projects to work on."

Meanwhile, Reiner Ferling, chairman of the Michael Schumacher fan club, was "really angry" with the council's decision to not honor the F1 legend and said (via Sportsmole):

"The way Michael is treated as a person is disgusting. I'm really angry. The city can't even bring itself to appoint someone as an honorary citizen who has won seven world championship titles for us?

"After everything that has happened, I can no longer imagine that the Schumacher family even wants Michael to become an honorary citizen."

The former seven-time F1 world champion has been in hospital care ever since his skiing accident in December 2013. The German driver suffered several head injuries, which put him in a medically induced coma.

Michael Schumacher's family are private about driver's condition and do not generally share any updates about his health to the public. Only the inner circle of the German driver are aware of his present condition.

He has not made an official public appearance ever since his accident, despite recent reports of him attending his daughter Gina Marie's wedding in September of 2024.