Former Red Bull head of operations Richard Hopkins has expressed hope that Michael Schumacher will appear in public again, but only if the seven-time Formula 1 world champion is genuinely well. Schumacher has not been seen in public since suffering a life-threatening head injury in a skiing accident in December 2013.
Privacy guarded by family
Schumacher hit his head on a rock while on a family skiing holiday in France. Since then, his wife, Corinna, has fiercely protected his privacy, and little is known about his condition. Hopkins, who used to mix with Schumacher during his time working at McLaren, said he only wants to see the German icon if he is truly doing well.
Speaking to iPredicta, Hopkins said: "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."
Respect for privacy
Hopkins 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."
He continued: "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."
Documentary insights
Hopkins said: "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."
A recently released Netflix documentary charted Schumacher's maiden F1 title with Benetton in 1994, a season that saw Ayrton Senna lose his life in a crash at the San Marino Grand Prix. The documentary includes contributions from Corinna and offers an intimate glimpse of the legendary driver away from the circuit.
Hopkins said Schumacher was much friendlier than the cold individual he was perceived to be. He explained: "Schumacher was a very emotional guy, wore his heart on his sleeve, as far as occasions where he got emotionally angry, I suppose. Not necessarily emotionally sad. I'm sure there were other occasions when he did. 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."
