Formula One legend Michael Schumacher is unlikely to ever be seen in public again, a close friend has revealed, almost twelve years after a catastrophic skiing accident changed his life forever.
A Tightly Guarded Inner Circle
The stark update comes from Richard Hopkins, the former Red Bull operations chief and a longtime friend of the racing icon. Hopkins disclosed that Schumacher's inner circle is extremely small, with only a select handful of his former F1 colleagues permitted regular visits.
"Only a few people are in his inner circle, and I'm not one of them," Hopkins admitted, emphasising the family's fierce commitment to privacy. "It's very private, and for the right reasons."
The seven-time world champion suffered a traumatic brain injury and was left paralysed after hitting his head on a rock during a family ski trip in the French Alps back in 2013.
Life in Seclusion and a Glimmer of Hope
Since the life-altering incident, Schumacher has received continuous care from his wife, Corinna, a team of doctors and nurses, and a personal Finnish physician at his family home near Lake Geneva in Switzerland.
Updates on his condition are exceptionally rare, with the family maintaining a strict veil of secrecy. In 2020, leading neurosurgeon Erich Riederer publicly suggested that Schumacher might be in a "vegetative state" with minimal chance of a full recovery.
A rare moment of visibility occurred last year when Schumacher was reportedly present at his daughter Gina's wedding in Mallorca. The event, held at the family's luxury villa, saw extreme security measures, including guest phone confiscations, to protect his privacy. The property was partially converted into a medical sanctuary to provide him with round-the-clock, hospital-level care.
A New Normal for a Sporting Icon
Schumacher now divides his time between the family's primary residence in Switzerland and their property in Mallorca, which was purchased from Real Madrid chairman Florentino Perez in 2017. The family's primary focus remains his comfort and unwavering privacy.
Figures like former Ferrari boss Jean Todt and F1 engineering maestro Ross Brawn are among the very few granted regular access, underscoring the exclusive nature of his care network.
Hopkins' sombre assessment confirms what many in the sporting world have feared for years: fans are unlikely to ever see their beloved champion in public again, a tragic testament to the severity of his injuries.
