Ralf Schumacher went looking for a fun night on the water and came home with a broken bone and a date with a surgeon. The former Formula 1 driver was injured competing in Stefan Raab’s celebrity jet ski world championship on Saturday, and what started as harmless entertainment turned into a genuine medical emergency by the time the cameras stopped rolling.
Schumacher, these days a Sky Germany pundit rather than a grand prix winner, had actually been going rather well before it all went wrong. In the individual Speed Duel event at the regatta course in Duisburg, he reached the grand final, only beaten by German circus performer and Ninja Warrior athlete Rene Casselly. Whatever else you want to say about a 51 year old ex-F1 driver on a jet ski, the man clearly still knows how to go fast in a straight line.
A Second Dunking Turns Serious
The trouble came in the team event, where Schumacher partnered Raab himself. Schumacher was driving, with Raab riding pillion, when the pair crashed near a buoy. Both climbed back onto the jet ski, but Schumacher set off again before Raab had properly regained his seat, tipping the celebrity duo back into the water for a second time. The crowd, watching live, found it hilarious. Nobody was laughing a few moments later.
As Schumacher tried to haul himself back onto the jet ski, his face told a different story. He explained what had happened during the live broadcast on RTL.
“My shoulder was dislocated when I tried to turn the jet ski around so quickly.” – Ralf Schumacher
Raab himself did not immediately clock how bad things were, admitting he initially assumed nothing serious had happened.
“At first I thought nothing had happened, and then the jet ski kept going. I was like, ‘Ralf, what’s wrong?’ He said he’d dislocated his shoulder. Then I quickly started waving for help.” – Stefan Raab
Hospital, X-Rays and an Awkward Diagnosis
That was the end of the fun for Team Schumacher-Raab, who missed out on the event’s golden inflatable ring as a result. Schumacher was pulled from the water quickly and treated on site before being taken for further checks, and he was full of gratitude afterwards for the people who got him out.
“It almost happened the first time as well. I hope nothing is broken. Thank God. A huge thank you to the team who got me out of there so quickly. And thanks to the doctor who put my shoulder back in place. It’s not exactly pleasant, I have to admit. But at the moment I’m OK.” – Ralf Schumacher
He posted again on Instagram on Sunday morning, thanking the medical staff who “put my shoulder back in and pulled me out of the water,” and singling out the BG Klinikum Duisburg for its help.
Unfortunately, the initial relief did not last. An X-ray on Saturday evening was followed by an MRI scan on Sunday, and the scans found more than a straightforward dislocation.
“It was only a shoulder dislocation, or a dislocated shoulder, but unfortunately a piece of bone broke off as well.” – Ralf Schumacher
That means Schumacher now needs what he described as “a small operation”, as reported by Motorsport.com.
Monza Duties Still on, Apparently
None of this seems to have dented Schumacher’s enthusiasm for his day job. Despite the injury, he insists he will still be trackside for Sky Germany at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, which starts on Friday 4 September, with qualifying on Saturday 5 September at 14:00 UTC and the race on Sunday 6 September at 13:00 UTC. Check the calendar for your local time if you want to catch the build up yourself.
“The operation will be over quickly and then I should be back in Monza as well. I only have to hold my microphone with my left hand!” – Ralf Schumacher
It is a fairly typical Schumacher response, brushing off a genuinely painful injury with the sort of dry humour you would expect from a man who spent years in an F1 cockpit. He is adamant he does not regret taking part, and would happily do it all again.
“It was an amazing event and a lot of fun. If they do it again, I’ll definitely be there. It was a great event. Sorry we couldn’t win the team competition like that. But next time we’ll definitely be better.” – Ralf Schumacher
No Complaints, Just Self-Deprecation
What genuinely seems to puzzle Schumacher is how he managed to injure himself in the first place, given the sequence of events involved pulling himself out of the water, turning the jet ski, and dislocating a shoulder all in one motion.
“Pulling it out of the water, turning the jet ski around and dislocating your shoulder in the process, you’ve got to manage that first. But maybe I’m simply too old for this crap.” – Ralf Schumacher
He was quick to clear the organisers of any blame, making it plain this was simply one of those things that happens when a man in his fifties throws himself into a stunt built for people half his age. It is a small, silly story in the grand scheme of the F1 calendar, but there is something oddly fitting about a Schumacher getting battered by physics on his own terms rather than anyone else’s. The real test comes at Monza, when he tries to hold a microphone, do his job, and pretend his shoulder is not held together with metalwork and stubbornness.
