Former Red Bull chief Richard Hopkins has expressed hope of seeing Michael Schumacher in public again, but only if the Formula One legend is “okay”. Schumacher has not been seen in public since a skiing accident in 2013 left him with a life-threatening head injury, and his family have not disclosed his condition in the 13 years since.
Hopkins on seeing Schumacher again
Hopkins, who enjoyed regular coffees with Schumacher around the paddocks when he was a McLaren mechanic, told iPredicta: "I hope we see him again. I'd love to. But only if that's right. I don't think anybody wants to see Michael in a situation we don't want to see Michael in, or Michael doesn't want us to see him in."
He added: "So I'd love to see Michael, but I'd love to see Michael okay. I think ‘okay’ is the right word to use. But equally, at the same time, if he's not okay, I'd rather not."
Respecting Corinna's protection
Hopkins also spoke of Schumacher's wife Corinna, saying: "I don't know what Corinna thinks. I don't know what her thoughts on this are. But maybe it's in some ways aligned to that, in as far as it's Michael. He was the ultimate in strength, and I think she's protecting him more than maybe protecting herself and the family and everything else."
He continued: "I'd love to see Michael and have a chat with him, and have a coffee with Michael, rather than see him in a not-okay situation. So you've got to respect that."
Netflix documentary sheds light
A recent Netflix documentary detailed Schumacher's rise in 1994, the tragic season in which Ayrton Senna was killed. It featured interviews with Corinna and also showed the legend in detail off the track.
Hopkins said he wasn't surprised by the portrayal, adding: "Schumacher was a very emotional guy, wore his heart on his sleeve, as far as occasions where he got emotionally angry, I suppose."
He concluded: "The guy wasn't completely made of steel. He wasn't a bloody robot. He was a human being at the end of the day. So I'm sure behind closed doors a lot of what we saw was a bit of an act, dare I say, but I think that was all for his reasoning."
