Willi Weber, the former manager and long-time confidant of Formula One icon Michael Schumacher, has spoken of being left “in complete shock” after a violent armed robbery at his home in Germany that saw him beaten and held captive for more than two hours.
The 83-year-old, who guided Schumacher through every step of a career that yielded seven world championships, was attacked at his villa in Stuttgart after being ambushed by three masked intruders.
Weber also managed Schumacher’s brother Ralf during his F1 career and later worked with Nico Hülkenberg, who is set to race for Audi’s factory team when it enters Formula One in 2026.
According to German newspaper Bild, the assailants struck while Weber was at home with his wife and a housekeeper.
All three were tied to chairs and threatened with a gun and other weapons as the robbers demanded access to a safe inside the property. When Weber initially refused to comply, the violence escalated.
“They wanted the code for the safe. I refused to give it to them and then they kept punching me in the face,” Weber told the publication.
The attack left him with a black eye, bruising to his forehead and a cut to his nose. Only after repeated blows did Weber hand over the code.
Willi Weber, the former manager and long-time confidant of Formula One icon Michael Schumacher, has spoken of being left “in complete shock” after a violent armed robbery at his home in Germany that saw him beaten and held captive for more than two hours
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The thieves fled with cash, jewellery and luxury watches worth hundreds of thousands of euros.
Among the stolen items were some of Weber’s most treasured possessions: a Patek Philippe Nautilus Chronograph 5980 valued at more than €100,000, a Rolex Day-Date II Platinum estimated at €50,000, and an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore worth around €25,000.
The watches carried particular sentimental value.
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F1 facts fans might not know | GETTY/GBNEWSWeber had previously joked publicly about wanting a “coffin with drawers” so he could “take the watches with me as keepsakes” when he died, underlining how deeply attached he was to the collection.
After more than two hours restrained, Weber managed to free himself and alert the police.
Officers arrived quickly, and medical treatment was administered at the scene.
Hospitalisation was not required, though Weber’s wife and the housekeeper both suffered minor bruising from being tied up.
Speaking shortly after the ordeal, Weber said: “There were three of them. I was having dinner. The police are here and talking to me. I feel terrible. I’m in complete shock.”
Weber also revealed that his daughter rushed to the villa after hearing what had happened, adding: “She’s helping me.”
Willi Weber and Michael Schumacher worked together for more than 20 years
|GETTY
In the hours that followed, the scale and precision of the robbery became increasingly clear.
“They knew what they were doing,” Weber said.
“Everything is gone! Even my watches. I must have been spied on for weeks. They came in and knew everything.”
Weber dismissed suggestions that he may have inadvertently exposed himself to risk after publicly announcing plans to sell his home.
“No! Surely it must be possible to sell a house in this country without being robbed,” Weber said. “What kind of country do we live in if you’re no longer safe in your own home?”
German police are now analysing video footage from the property and surrounding area in an effort to identify the perpetrators and trace their escape route. Weber has since been placed under the protection of bodyguards as investigations continue.