Michael Schumacher’s family are lying about his condition – they must tell the truth, star’s ex-manager claims

He told the paper: "I tried hundreds of times to contact Corinna and she didn’t answer. I called Jean Todt to ask him if I should go to the hospital and he told me to wait – it’s too early.

"I called the next day and no one answered. I didn’t expect behaviour like that and I’m still angry about it. 

"They kept me out, telling me it’s too early, well now it’s too late. It’s been nine years. Maybe they should just say it the way it is."

He initially understood the need for secrecy from the Schumacher family but that since he got out of hospital, "we have only heard lies from them".

Weber, who also managed the racing great's brother Ralf, said he Schumacher was "like a son to me".

He said: "Years after the accident, I said to myself to just look out for the family as I couldn’t change things... even today it hurts me to talk about it."

Corinna opened up about her husband's health battle during a Netflix documentary released last year.

She said the family "misses Michael every day" and was struggling to cope with the "different" Michael that had come out of hospital.

"Everybody misses Michael, but Michael is here," she said.

"Different, but he's here and that gives us strength, I find."

In another moving clip, she said: "I think that he is simply very strong mentally. Extremely strong. He still shows me how strong he is every day."

The seven-time world champion has not been seen since his near-fatal brain injury in 2013 in France, where he hit his head on a rock while skiing.

Since 2014, he has been cared for at his Lake Geneva home by wife Corinna, 50, and children Gina-Marie, 22, and Mick, 20, but very little is known about his condition.

Weber has previously claimed Corinna has refused his requests to visit the F1 star over fears he would reveal the 'truth' about his terrible injuries.

Speaking in a documentary, he said: "I know that Michael has been hit hard, but unfortunately I do not know what progress he makes.

"I’d like to know how he’s doing and shake hands or stroke his face.

"But unfortunately, this is rejected by Corinna. She’s probably afraid that I’ll see right away what’s going on and make the truth public.

"I firmly believe in Michael’s recovery, because I know he is a fighter.

"If there is a chance, he will use it. That cannot be the end. I pray for him and am convinced that we will see him again."

Last year, FIA president Todt said he "regularly" visited Schumacher who he claimed was "fighting" to get better years on from his life-changing crash.

In a rare health update, the FIA president said "we can only hope" the F1 legend improves as he continues to stay out of the public eye.

He is one of the few people allowed to visit him at his secluded home.

"I can understand why his family and friends are protecting him because we should leave him in peace," Todt told the 

"Michael is fighting, he is fighting, and we can only hope that he will improve."