Michael Schumacher is ‘not close’ to his old self and it has ‘changed’ his brother Ralf, admits former team-mate in ‘very sad’ update on stricken F1 icon

A former Formula 1 star has revealed that Michael Schumacher’s tragic accident has left brother Ralf ‘very different’.

The seven-time world champion – widely regarded as the best the sport has ever seen – suffered an accident while skiing in the Alps with his family, hitting his head on a rock in 2013.

After being rushed to hospital, he was placed in a medically induced coma for 250 days before returning home after suffering a near-fatal brain injury.

Since then, he has led a very private life with his family in Switzerland, and few have seen or visited Schumacher, and even some friends and relatives have been kept in the dark by those closest to him in an attempt to prevent leaks to the press .

Now former F1 driver Johnny Herbert – Schumacher’s teammate at Benetton – has described how Ralf has been affected by his brother’s ongoing condition.

Herbert (pictured) raced alongside the German star for Benetton and met his brother Ralf while working for Sky

Ralf Schumacher has ‘matured’ and has had to ‘change a lot’ to cope with what happened to his brother

“When Ralf Schumacher worked at Sky Germany, we met often,” Herbert said Grosvenor Sports.

‘Ralf has had to do a lot of things for and with the family, given what happened to Michael.

‘He has matured. He is now very different from the person he was as a driver.

“He’s a good person now. He has changed a lot as he had to deal with the ongoing situation with his brother.”

While Schumacher’s life remained out of the spotlight, there was speculation about his condition, while the world remained largely in the dark about the German great.

French journalist Roger Benoit, a close friend of Schumacher, claimed the 54-year-old’s case was one ‘without hope’ in a tragic health update earlier in September – with Herbert claiming it was a ‘terrible’ update.

He added: “There is never news. What we do know is that we never hear any positive news.

“That’s the horrible thought that he still can’t be close to the Michael we all remember. And that is very sad.’

Herbert added that Ralf – also an expert – had to do a lot to help the Schumacher family

Schumacher fell and hit his head on a rock while skiing in Meribel in 2013, leaving him with a near-fatal brain injury

The German is one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time and has won seven world titles

Herbert, who has appeared regularly in Sky Sports F1 coverage over the past decade, believes his old teammate would have had a great career in the media and claims his ‘outspoken’ character would have shone on screen.

‘He would have been candid. He always knew very well what you could and could not do.

‘His character was always in your face and told you straight away if you had done something to him on the track.

‘Think of Spa with David Coulthard. He would have been very good.’