Motorsport: Michael Schumacher's manager drops big hint on stricken great's condition

Michael Schumacher and Sabine Kehm at the French GRand Prix in 2005. Photo / Getty

Sabine Kehm has been one of Michael Schumacher's closest confidants for the past 20 years.

The former journalist was hired as Schumacher's press officer in 1999 and took over as his full-time manager in 2010.

Since his tragic skiing accident in 2013, she's been the barrier between the notoriously private Schumacher family and a ravenous public that is hungry for updates on his condition.

She's respected the family's wishes by offering incredibly sparse statements, but to mark the Formula One legend's 50th birthday agreed to an extended interview with F1's official podcast Beyond The Grid.

The conversation, perhaps by prior agreement, remained largely focused on Schumacher's driving career — but it was encouraging to hear Kehm speak in the current tense about his relationship with his family, including wife Corrina.

Asked about how the Ferrari ace would escape the intense demands of a racing driver and world-famous celebrity, Kehm said: "Michael clearly had his family."

"Corinna they were such a perfect couple and they are still a perfect couple if you ask me," she said.

"When he went home and the kids would come in, Formula One was far away. And he needed that privacy.

"His family has always been his charger in a way.

"Family-wise he was — and still is — really close with his family," she added.

"Secondly, Michael managed to have friends from his childhood until now.

"That's a nice thing as well, he's always had them around ... he has a bunch of close and very good friends."

Michael Schumacher gives his wife Corrina a kiss as he celebrates clinching the World Championship in 2001. Photo / Getty

Schumacher's public persona during his racing days was very much an ice-cold, calculated competitor but Kehm revealed he was much different behind-the-scenes.

One example was the personal relationships he maintained with everyone in the Ferrari garage.

"He wanted to have the birthdays of everybody and we needed to give Christmas wishes and presents to everybody," Kehm said.

"He would always in length think about what present to give each person, that was something that was really important to him.

"He knew he was demanding and wanted to reward them in a way.

"Michael has always been a very warm person, even in the racing environment. But he didn't want this to be seen on the outside because he thought it would take away some of the competitiveness.

"He very clearly divided those two personas. Sport at that level is a lot of mind games — he wanted to come across as confident and strong."

Schumacher, who retired from racing in 2012, has not been seen in public since he suffered severe head injuries in a skiing accident five years ago.

The German is being well-cared for at home in Switzerland.

"You can be sure that he is in the very best of hands and that we are doing everything humanly possible to help him," a recent family statement read.

"Please understand if we are following Michael's wishes and keeping such a sensitive subject as health, as it has always been, in privacy."