A friend of stricken Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher has spoken about his former pal more than 12 years on from the skiing accident in which the German suffered life-changing injuries

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Michael Schumacher has not been seen in public since his December 2013 skiing accident(Image: PA Wire/Press Association Images)

Over 12 years have elapsed since the life-altering skiing accident of Michael Schumacher. The former German racing driver was off-piste skiing in the French Alps on December 29, 2013, a year after his second and final retirement from Formula 1, when he hit his head on a rock during a fall.

Ever since, information about his condition has been sparse, with his devoted wife Corinna striving to safeguard her husband’s privacy as much as possible. This tragic incident deprived the F1 world of one of its most formidable competitors, millions of fans of a legend and, most importantly, a family of the man they once knew.

It is known that Ferrari legend Schumacher requires constant care from his close family and a team of medical professionals, spending most of his time at the family home on the shores of Lake Geneva. Other reports suggest he is unable to engage in conversation or communicate verbally, while the fact that his wife Corinna assisted him in hand-signing a helmet for charity last year indicates, at the very least, a significant loss of motor function.

Beyond these details, little else is known about Schumacher’s condition, with only a select few trusted family members and friends permitted to visit. However, he remains very much alive and, for many who once knew him well, the fact that over a decade has passed since he was last seen in public is startling.

Among those reflecting on Schumacher’s legacy is former F1 mechanic and logistics boss Richard Hopkins, who spent many years in the paddock with the seven-time champion. “It’s amazing that it was that long ago,” he told Mirror Sport, reminiscing about that “significant moment” in history.

“Obviously, it was such a significant moment in the world of motorsport, and a significant moment for those people who knew Michael. Even for those people who didn’t know Michael and knew him through association, or maybe just watching him on TV and cheering him on, it’s just incredible where the time has gone.

“The Keep Fighting Michael campaign is still alive. Obviously, as time goes on, there are fewer and fewer people, and it sort of dilutes a little bit. But everybody keeps thinking about him. You can’t not think about Michael and his situation.

“We always reflect on the anniversary. And obviously, with the significant anniversaries, the 10 years, the 20 years, and the 25, and so on and so forth. But we hear about him constantly throughout the year, which is fantastic. You can never forget the guy. He was such a machine, such a master of his class.”

Like many others who knew Schumacher well, Hopkins has been kept out of the tight-knit circle privy to details about his care and condition. He admits that he finds the situation “difficult” and “frustrating”, but has long since accepted that he may never know more about his old friend’s struggle.

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Corinna Schumacher continues to guard details of her husband’s condition and treatment(Image: Getty Images)

Hopkins shared: “I think all of us, and it’s just human nature, want to know. We would love to know. But I guess for some people, and me included, not knowing is okay as well. Unfortunately, we create our own ideas. But we can only imagine that not a lot is being said because there’s maybe not a lot to say.

“We’re not seeing him because maybe the family don’t want him to be seen in the condition he’s in. That obviously generates your own ideas and images, and I think we all probably have a similar idea of the state that he’s in. We’re probably not too far off the mark in our assumptions of where he’s at right now.

“I haven’t really spoken to anybody closer to that inner circle about what I think. But I think we all think the same. Of course it’s a little bit frustrating that we’re kept in the dark. But I don’t think we’re that in the dark. I think our own assumptions are fairly accurate about where he’s at right now.”

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Michael Schumacher was a regular skier up until his accident(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

The circumstances have encouraged a small group of criminals to attempt exploiting the family over the years. Most recently, three individuals were convicted earlier this year for their involvement in a £12million blackmail scheme, after obtaining approximately 900 photographs and 600 videos of Schumacher, his wife and two children.

Despite this legal victory, Corinna Schumacher remains concerned that those stolen images might still one day be released following such a “massive breach of trust”. Nevertheless, Hopkins largely believes the continued public fascination with information about the afflicted racing legend helps preserve his memory and accomplishments.

He continued: “This is the world we’re living in… Those bad actors will always be around. It’s about how we keep a straight bat and power on through. You’re always going to have that. I don’t think that’s avoidable, certainly in the world we’re living in today.

“If there were another sportsperson or business person that had a skiing accident, would that family be happy and open to sharing that information? I don’t know. There are rubberneckers who love the gore and everything else, and then there are genuine people who had a lot of time for Michael, either within the paddock or watching him on TV.

“There’s genuine curiosity, but there are two sides to it. But I think it’s okay. Maybe the fact that questions are constantly asked isn’t a bad thing. It keeps him remembered. And as long as that’s genuine and honest and not sinister, then that’s okay.”