Former Red Bull executive Richard Hopkins has shared an update on the health status of Michael Schumacher, expressing doubt that the public will have any further sightings of the Formula 1 icon. Schumacher has maintained a private health status since sustaining a head injury in a skiing accident in December 2013.
Following the accident over a decade ago, Schumacher, now 56, was placed in a medically induced coma, keeping his health details away from the public domain. Hopkins, who worked alongside Schumacher during his time at Red Bull and developed a close bond with the F1 legend, emphasized the importance of respecting Schumacher’s privacy regarding his health condition.
In a recent interview with SPORTbible via William Hill, Hopkins mentioned his lack of recent updates on Schumacher’s condition, noting that Schumacher reportedly has a personal doctor from Finland. Hopkins expressed his belief that the public may not have any future encounters with Schumacher due to the family’s desire to maintain secrecy around his health.
Although Hopkins acknowledged his distance from Schumacher’s inner circle, he reflected on their friendship that originated in the 1990s when he worked at McLaren before transitioning to a senior role at Red Bull. Stressing the necessity of upholding the family’s wishes for confidentiality, Hopkins highlighted the level of respect shown by those close to Schumacher in refraining from sharing any personal information about his health.
While acknowledging that he is not as intimately connected with key figures like Jean Todt, Ross Brawn, or Gerhard Berger, who have visited Schumacher, Hopkins emphasized the mutual understanding among visitors to respect the family’s privacy wishes. He underscored the importance of maintaining confidentiality out of respect for Schumacher and his family, even if he were to possess any knowledge about Schumacher’s health, as sharing any details would go against the family’s wishes.