Former racing driver Perry McCarthy has insisted it was "cruel" for Michael Schumacher to be injured skiing, having made it through his career as an F1 superstar.
Schumacher suffered a brain injury while skiing with his son 10 years ago, which left him in a coma for six months. His family have fiercely protected information about his health, with the seven-time world champion now residing in his Switzerland home.
McCarthy worked alongside Schumacher at Benetton as a test driver, with the duo becoming friends. And the Englishman has now defended the former Ferrari star's family for their privacy, insisting it is only right that information is kept between a tight inner circle.
"His family are intent on absolute privacy and only a part of his inner circle will know details of Michael’s condition. Someone like Jean Todt, who was Michael's ex-manager at Ferrari and the former president of the FIA, would be very close with the family," he told OLBG.
"There is always speculation but I hesitate to believe what I read in the press. I think it's human nature to enquire, and the family will understand that considering how famous Michael is.
“They've also become well-versed in containing the story. It's incredible that someone so special can be so badly hurt whilst skiing. It's so cruel that Michael happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Everything conspired to leave such a bad mark on his health. It's also incredible to think of all the near-misses that Michael, or any racing driver, had in his career, only for him to be struck down by a skiing accident and be so severely hurt that it has affected the family for ten years. It's incredibly sad.''
McCarthy has also lamented the fact that the accident has meant that Schumacher was unable to make his mark on the world outside of F1. The Brit, who also worked as The Stig on Top Gear, believes that the German would have done something positive for humanity.
"Nobody knows exactly what Michael would have gone on to do, but my feeling is that he'd have done something for humanity. I feel he had that capacity, and I think he would have retained his love for F1," McCarthy added.
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"But he would have realised that there are much bigger things in life and he had the opportunity to change things. Michael was an ambassador for UNESCO. He was a guy who had given tens of millions away to charity.
"I think Aryton would have done the same thing. Michael knew how to get things done. He was a seven-time World Champion with 91 Grand Prix victories. He was competitive and didn’t take no for an answer!
"He could have come onto a world stage and done something as a humanitarian to help people and causes. I remember how 9/11 affected him. The guy could be a total menace on the track, but he had a huge heart."