Former Formula 1 star Heinz-Harald Frentzen has posted from his hospital bed on social media, revealing he has undergone back surgery, joking it was a birthday present to himself.
Frentzen raced in F1 between 1994 and 2003, and drove for a plethora of teams, most notably Williams, Jordan and Sauber, where he began and ended his career.
The German won three Grands Prix in that time, and was an outside contender for the 1999 World Championship, ultimately finishing in third place.
Frentzen also finished second in 1997, inheriting the position in the standings from Michael Schumacher, who was disqualified from the championship after controversially colliding with Frentzen’s teammate Jacques Villeneuve.
As well as his F1 exploits, Frentzen was also a gifted sports car driver, having been teammates with Schumacher at the Mercedes-backed Sauber squad before both men graduated to F1.
Frentzen took to social media on Monday, his 59th birthday with a selfie, lying in a hospital bed supported by a neck brace.
“Happy Birthday to me!” he wrote.
“Woke up after back surgery to hundreds of birthday wishes – thanks so much!
“Got myself a brand new disc as a birthday present this year. Feeling very blessed.
“Greetings from Mönchengladbach.”
Frentzen was swamped with well-wishes from fans, and confirmed recovery was going well, as well as jokingly suggesting: “Comeback?” when a fan asked if he would compete in next year’s Nurburgring 24 Hours against Max Verstappen.
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