Michael Schumacher’s ex-manager has questioned the F1 legend’s daughter’s decision to change her name after marrying last month.
Schumacher’s daughter Gina tied the knot with her boyfriend Iain Bethke at the family’s £27million luxury villa in Mallorca at the end of September.
The couple said ‘yes’ under a floral arch in Villa Yasmin, the property that Corinna, the wife of seven-time F1 world champion Schumacher, is said to have bought from Real Madrid president Florentino Perez in 2017.
Willi Weber, 82, was not even invited to celebrate Schumacher’s daughter’s wedding despite being his manager throughout his career, and has now made the decision for Gina to change her name.
As reported by ImageGina Schumacher decided to put her husband’s name on her Facebook profile last week – which now reads as Gina Bethke.
Michael Schumacher’s ex-manager – Willi Weber (pictured) – has questioned the F1 legend’s daughter’s decision to change her name after her wedding last month
Weber insisted Schumacher’s (pictured) daughter ‘shouldn’t have dropped such a big name’
Michael Schumacher’s daughter Gina tied the knot with her boyfriend Iain Bethke last month
In response, Weber said: ‘Why would you just drop such a big name? I don’t understand!’
‘Give up a name like that. It’s a brand. It has to do with her father. I wouldn’t have done that. But that’s her decision! The other is my opinion.’
However, it seems that Weber was somewhat wrong in his criticism.
Gina, who has built a strong reputation as an equestrian, chose the name ‘Gina Schumacher Bethke’ when she recently competed in a tournament in Texas.
However, Bild further claims that she is called ‘Gina Bethke’ in her circle of friends, which supports Weber’s claims.
Her name on Instagram remains ‘Gina Schumacher’.
She lives with her husband Iain in Gordonville, Texas, where the couple runs a ranch and breeds Quarter Horses.
At the beginning of the month, Weber revealed that he would not have been able to attend the ceremony in the first place due to health concerns and shared why he has already “said goodbye to Michael.”
Speak with Imagehe said, “I think about my successes with Michael – our goals and our victories. I remember Michael as he was. And we probably won’t see each other again.
Weber oversaw Schumacher’s career as he won seven world drivers’ championships
Horse lovers Gina and Iain made their relationship official almost seven years ago
‘It was my fault for not visiting and assisting Michael after the accident. Because I thought the media reports were exaggerated.
‘I thought I’d better wait a few days and everything would be fine. But it was too late. For a long time I blamed myself for not responding immediately.
‘Since then, I have said goodbye to Michael in my heart to find my peace again.’
There is no bad blood between Weber and 55-year-old Schumacher, who has not appeared in public since suffering serious head injuries while skiing in the French resort of Meribel in 2013.
“I have had no contact with the family for more than 10 years, I can barely remember what happened,” he added.
‘I wasn’t invited to the wedding but I wouldn’t have gone anyway because my health isn’t good at the moment. I didn’t want to fly to Mallorca.
‘Michael was one of my best friends. More like a son I never had. No one knows exactly what’s going on with him today, so I don’t want to comment further.”
The ceremony took place at the family’s £27 million mansion in Mallorca, which Schumacher is said to have bought from Real Madrid president Florentino Perez in 2017.
BILD has claimed it is ‘highly likely’ that Michael attended his daughter’s wedding despite his health.
Guests are said to include Michael’s brother Ralf and his partner Etienne Bosquet-Cassagne, who have feuded with former ex-wife Cora over her claims she felt ‘stabbed in the heart’ after finding out he was gay .
The villa has a landing site and he is regularly flown from the family home on Lake Geneva in Switzerland to the villa in Port d’Andratx.
It is part of a 15,000 square meter estate with two swimming pools, a helipad, a gym and a huge garden with palm trees.
