Record F1 championship holder Michael Schumacher has been tipped to make a first public appearance in 13 years - if his health permits. Schumacher, 57, suffered life-changing injuries after striking his head on a rock during a family skiing vacation in France back in December 2013. The German hasn't been seen in public since, missing son Mick's brief stint in F1 and his move to IndyCar earlier this year. Schumacher is believed to reside primarily at his family home in Switzerland, with reports also linking him to the family's estate in Mallorca, Spain, where he is thought to receive ongoing medical care.

Though a concrete update on his health is zealously guarded by his family, who maintain their desire for privacy, former Red Bull head of operations Richard Hopkins hopes to see Schumacher in public in the near future, which would break a 13-year absence from the spotlight.

Hopkins 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. 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."

However, Hopkins is unsure whether Schumacher's wife, Corinna, would be on board with the seven-time F1 world champion breaking cover. "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," Hopkins continued. "He was the ultimate in strength, and I think she's protecting him more than maybe protecting herself and the family and everything else."

Schumacher and his wife Corinna have been together since 1991 and married in August 1995, building a family with their two children, daughter Gina-Maria and son Mick, who followed his father into professional motorsport. Corinna has taken a central role in overseeing his care, with support from a team of medical professionals, nurses, and therapists. In a 2021 Netflix documentary, she said: "We're together. We live together at home. We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he's comfortable." She added: "Michael always protected us, and now we are protecting Michael."

Hopkins says he'd "love to see Michael" again. The pair were friendly with each other while Hopkins worked at McLaren. "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," he said.

Hopkins also gave insight into how Schumacher actually was, beyond his fiery on-track personality. Hopkins described the German as "a very emotional guy." "Schumacher was a very emotional guy, wore his heart on his sleeve, as far as occasions where he got emotionally angry, I suppose," he revealed. "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."

Hopkins believes that some of Schumacher's fiery side "was a bit of an act" - a stark contrast to how the legendary driver was "behind closed doors." "He was a human being at the end of the day," Hopkins said. "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."