According to a close friend of the driver, Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher will likely never be seen in public again.
Schumacher, 56, stepped away from the spotlight after his horrific skiing accident in December 2013, in which he suffered a traumatic brain injury after falling and hitting his head on a rock in the French Alps.
The driver spent 250 days in an induced coma following the incident, which occurred just one year after his retirement from Formula 1. Since then, Schumacher’s health condition has been kept a secret by the family.
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Now, Richard Hopkins, former head of operations at Red Bull, who befriended the motorsport icon in the 1990s, gave a recent interview and explained that he believes the Formula 1 star will never be well enough to make a public appearance again.
“I haven’t heard anything recently. I understand that [Schumacher] has a Finnish doctor, a personal doctor. I don’t think we’ll see Michael again,” Hopkins told the website SPORTbible.
“I feel a little uncomfortable talking about his health condition due to the secrecy the family wishes to maintain, for justified reasons.”
“So I can make a comment, have an opinion, but I’m not part of that inner circle. I’m not Jean Todt, I’m not Ross Brawn, I’m not Gerhard Berger, who visit Michael. I’m far from that,” he added.
Hopkins went on to say that even the few people who remain close to the Schumacher family have not provided any information on “how well Michael is.”
“Even if you offered Ross plenty of very good red wine, I don’t think he would open up and share anything. I think there is this mutual respect among those who visit Michael, not to share anything.”
“That’s what the family wants. I think it’s fair and respectful to the family. Even if I knew, the family would be disappointed if I told anyone anyway,” Hopkins concluded.
Photo: Creative Commons. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
