The editor-in-chief of the German magazine "Die Actuelle" has been sacked after publishing a mock interview conducted with artificial intelligence techniques with seven-time former Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher , the Funke media group announced Saturday.

Anne Hoffmann sparked a storm of controversy when the magazine published on Wednesday an alleged interview with Schumacher, his first since he suffered a serious brain injury in a 2013 skiing accident in the French Alps.

The interview included quotes attributed to Schumacher, in which he discussed his family life since the accident and his health.

A spokesman for the Schumacher family, which has been keen to keep the case of the former Ferrari and Mercedes driver secret, confirmed that the latter plans to take legal action during the interview with "ISBN".

Bianca Pullman, director of the Funke media group, apologized to the Schumacher family on Saturday.

"The article was in poor taste and misleading and should never have appeared," Pullman said in a statement.

She added that the interview "in no way met the standards of journalism that we and our readers would expect from a group like Funke."

"The editor-in-chief of d'Actoile Anne Hoffmann has been relieved of the position she has held since 2009, with immediate effect," she added.

The interview included quotes attributed to Schumacher, in which he discussed his family life since the accident and his health.

Schumacher, 54, has not been seen in public in the 10 years since his injury, with little information provided publicly about his condition.

Reports indicate that Schumacher has been suffering from memory, movement and speech problems since the accident and is being cared for at his home near Geneva.

"Privacy is privacy, as he always said," Corina, Michael's wife, said in a documentary film broadcast on the "Netflix" platform in 2021. "Michael always protects us, and now we protect Michael."

Schumacher won seven Formula One titles (2 with Benetton and 5 with Ferrari), before equaling his British record with Lewis Hamilton. The German has achieved 91 class 1 victories, behind Hamilton (103).

Mick (24 years) continued his father's track career, where he participated for two years with the Haas team, and he is currently serving as a reserve driver with Mercedes and McLaren teams.