STRICKEN F1 star Michael Schumacher is to become a grandfather for the first time.
The motorsport icon’s daughter Gina, 27, has announced she is pregnant – three months after she married.
She shared the news with her 335,000 Instagram followers, saying: “Impatiently awaiting the arrival of our little girl”.
Gina accompanied the message with a picture of a foal standing next to pink balloons.
It comes after horse enthusiast Gina tied the knot with Ian Bethke at the family villa in Majorca in September.
Schumacher is understood to spend a lot of his time at the £27million villa on the sun-soaked Spanish island his wife Corinna bought in 2017.
There was speculation at the time that her seven-time F1 champion dad attended the wedding, but no proof.
F1 legend Schumacher, 55, has not been seen in public since he suffered a serious head injury after a skiing accident in December 2013 in the French Alps.
The private wedding saw staff told to hand over their mobile phones before entering the villa so no photos would be taken inside.
Guests were also instructed to leave their mobile phones at the door and no media outlets were allowed to attend.
The ceremony at the Port d’Andratx villa lasted around half an hour and was followed by a banquet and party.
And the day before the wedding, around 100 guests were invited to a ‘White Party’.
Security measures were ramped up in and outside the exclusive Mhares Sea Club in Puigderrós.
Horse enthusiasts Gina and Iain went official with their relationship nearly seven years ago.
The reports about the wedding in January did not specify whether Michael would attend.
He turned 55 in January just days after the tenth anniversary of his tragic ski accident on December 29.
But German outlet Bild claimed in September it was “very likely” Schumacher was present at the ceremony.
Guests are said to have included Michael’s brother Ralf and his partner Etienne Bosquet-Cassagne.
Schumacher’s close friend, fellow F1 ace Johnny Herbert, rubbished reports Schumacher attended.
The Grand Prix winning Brit said he expects Michael’s life to always remain behind closed doors with even major events like a family wedding not being worth the media frenzy it could create.
Speaking to FlashscoreUSA, Herbert said: “It will always be a closed shop.
“The most recent rumour was he attended his daughter’s wedding.
“Unfortunately, from what I understand that was all A1 fake news and no truth in it.”
Since 2013, Schumacher’s wife Corinna has been creating a private world around Michael as he continues his recovery.
This includes forming a tight knit group of people allowed to see the icon and those who can’t due to fear of his private life being leaked.
Schumacher is said to have regular meetings with his former teammate Luca Badoer at Ferrari.
As well as his manager Sabine Kehm – who is arguably the closest non-family member to Michael both before and after the accident.
The third member of the circle is Jean Todt who has been close to Michael for over 30 years.
The pair reportedly still watch F1 races together but Todt has admitted in the past that the F1 legend “is no longer the Michael we knew” before the accident.
Ex-Ferrari ace and Michael’s teammate Felipe Massa – regarded as “Michael’s younger brother” – has also been allowed to see his old pal occasionally.
