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Michael Schumacher friend reveals why his family won't release photos of stricken F1 icon

Michael Schumacher suffered life-altering injuries while skiing in the French alps in 2013 and now a friend of his family has explained why we don't see present-day images of the F1 legend

[A friend of the F1 legend has spoken out about his condition]

A friend of the F1 legend has spoken out about his condition(Image: firo Sportphoto//picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

A friend of the Schumacher family has suggested the reasoning behind why the F1 legends image is so closely guarded these days.

Michael Schumacher suffered life-altering injuries when he struck his head on a rock while skiing in the French alps in 2013. Over the last 12 years there has been a host of speculation about his mental and physical state, while his family and wife Corinna have not shared any images of the driver to protect his dignity.

Speaking to OLBG , F1 expert Richard Hopkins has suggested the Schumacher familys decision is to prevent risk should pictures get leaked into the public eye.

[Michael Schumacher suffered a head injury while skiing in the French alps]

Michael Schumacher suffered a head injury while skiing in the French alps(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

He said: Taking myself personally out of the situation and looking at it holistically as a scenario, I think there are so many unknowns about the situation and so many people, from friends to race fans, who just don't know what situation he's currently in.

I think if we were given access to seeing his situation, would that, in some ways, put things to rest for all those people who are wondering? Probably. You do wonder whether the decision that's being made by the Schumacher family is the right one, but I'm sure they're probably thinking, would it be better for everybody to know, or is it better for people not to know?

Hopkins, a friend of the Schumachers, added: I think the decision of people not knowing protects their privacy. If they showed some photographs or some video, yes, it might put people's curiosity to rest. Personally, I'm not curious. I would much rather keep in my mind a positive feeling that he's comfortable, hopefully that he's happy, he's being cared for correctly, and I think all those things are true.

[The family may not want the 'risk' of having recent pictures of Michael Schumacher in the public eye ]

The family may not want the 'risk' of having recent pictures of Michael Schumacher in the public eye (Image: Getty Images)

I think for the family, if they blinked or pulled that trigger, it would create a lot of unknowns. What would the future then look like? What's the aftermath of that? If we show some photographs or a video of Michael, what then? What's next? What would the questions and the demands be on the family? What would people want to see next?"

Hopkins said the current situation is "manageable by Corinna and the family".

He said: If you now change [the situation], it could open up a degree of risk. How would you then mitigate that risk? It's another thing. It might not be the right answer for everybody else, and it might not be the right answer for the family, but it is an answer, it is a strategy, it is an approach that they clearly have been able to manage for a while now.

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