Family of F1 legend Schumacher target of blackmail, two men arrested

Formula 1 racing driver Michael Schumacher and his wife Corinna attend the 31st German Sports Press Ball. German prosecutors say the family of former Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher was the victim of attempted blackmail. picture alliance / dpa

German prosecutors said on Monday the family of stricken Formula One legend Michael Schumacher was the victim of attempted blackmail and that two men have been arrested.

A spokesman for the public prosecutor's office in the western city of Wuppertal said the perpetrators had claimed to employees of the family that they were in possession of files that the family would not want to be made public.

They demanded a payment in the millions of euros to keep the information secret, otherwise they would publish it on the dark net.

The perpetrators had sent some files to the family as proof, the spokesman said.

Using "technical measures," it was possible to determine that the suspected blackmailers had acted from Wuppertal. Two men from Wuppertal, aged 53 and 30, were arrested - a father and son.

Very little is known about the health of the seven-time F1 world champion more than 10 years after a skiing accident.

The German suffered serious head injuries in the incident in the French Alps on December 29, 2013 and has not been seen in public since. The family has vigorously defended his privacy.