The mayor of Kerpen has defended the decision to deny F1 legend Michael Schumacher an honourary citizenship in his adopted hometown in Germany.

It comes after Schumacher’s brother, the six-time F1 race winner Ralf Schumacher, said he was “lost for words” by the move.

Michael Schumacher denied honourary citizenship in Kerpen

The Schumacher brothers were born in Hurth, Germany, but came to be closely associated with nearby Kerpen over the course of their F1 careers.

Ferrari icon Michael Schumacher stands as one of the greatest drivers in F1 history, having become the first man in the sport’s history to reach seven World Championships in 2004 – a record only matched by new Ferrari signing Lewis Hamilton in 2020.

Schumacher, who turns 56 today (January 3), has not been seen in public since he suffered severe brain injuries in a skiing accident in December 2013.

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It emerged last month that Schumacher had been denied an honourary citizenship in Kerpen, with local politicians deciding on the matter in November after it was initially postponed in March 2024.

The decision was met with a furious reaction from Schumacher’s brother Ralf, who took to social media to criticise the move.

He wrote: “That’s typical of Germany and our politics.

“Nothing surprises me any more about the SPD [Social Democratic Party of Germany]. Performance is apparently no longer important.

“When you think about what my brother has done for Kerpen through his success, I’m simply lost for words.”

Mr Schumacher’s disappointment was echoed by Reiner Ferling, the chairman of the Michael Schumacher fanclub, who told German newspaper Kolner Stadtanzeiger: “The way Michael is treated as a person is beneath contempt.

“I’m really angry. The city can’t bring itself to appoint someone as an honorary citizen who has won seven world championship titles for us.”

However, Dieter Spurck, who has served as the mayor of Kerpen since 2015, has defended the process.

Mayor Spurck told Bild: “Kerpen does not have a code of honour.

“It is up to the city council to decide on the introduction of a code of honour with corresponding honorary citizenship and its criteria.

“At its council meeting on 19 March 2024, the council of the Kolping City of Kerpen unanimously decided to postpone the matter of awarding honorary citizenship to Michael Schumacher.

“The parliamentary groups and the non-attached city councillors should first reach an intergroup agreement on whether honorary citizenship should be introduced.

“To date, the city administration has not received a new application on this topic from politicians.”

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