Michael Schumacher 's wife Corinna broke down in tears before admitting the Formula One legend is "different" after accepting an award on his behalf.
Schumacher is regarded as one of the best F1 drivers of all-time, having won seven world championship titles. He drove for Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari and Mercedes across two spells in the sport during what was a glittering career.
But just over a year after retiring for a second time, Schumacher was involved in a skiing accident in December 2013. He was put in a medically induced coma, though he has since regained consciousness and remains at home.
While his family have mostly kept details of his condition private, Corinna has now admitted that Schumacher is "different" following his accident. She was accepting the State Prize of North-Rhine-Westphalia last week when she made those comments.
Corinna was joined by their daughter Gina in accepting the award, with son Mick now driving in F1 for Haas. The prestigious prize was handed to Schumacher in recognition of his achievements, with Corinna left in tears on stage.
"I miss Michael every day. But it's not just me who misses him. It's the children, the family, his father, everyone around him. I mean, everybody misses Michael, but Michael is here. Different, but he's here and that gives us strength, I find," she said previously.
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"We try to carry on a family as Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives. 'Private is private', as he always said. It is very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible. Michael always protected us, and now we are protecting Michael."
In handing out the award North-Rhine-Westphalia state premier Henrik Wust hailed the contribution that Schumacher had made. He paid tribute to the former racing driver for his work both on and off track.
“In Michael Schumacher we are honouring a man today who not only stands out for his sporting achievements. But above all, we pay tribute to Michael Schumacher beyond racing and the spotlight. [He] has a big heart and for whom it was important to think about others," Wust said.
Corrina was joined at Cologne's Motorworld, where the Schumacher family's private collection of F1 cars and memorabilia is housed, by his former Ferrari team principal Jean Todt. And the Frenchman paid his own tribute to his close friend.
“That’s just natural. No one planned it to be so emotional that tears were shed by Corinna, but sometimes it’s good to not always control yourself. I don’t miss Michael. I can see him. But of course, what I miss is what we used to do together,” Todt said when asked about Corinna's tears.
Schumacher's son Mick is currently 15th in the championship standings, just a place behind family friend Sebastian Vettel. He finished 18th in Free Practice One and 17th in Free Practice Two on Friday ahead of Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.
