Michael Schumacher's family are right to conceal his medical condition, Ross Brawn, one of only a handful of people to have visited the stricken driver, has said.
Schumacher turns 50 on January 3, but the most decorated star in Formula One history has not been seen in public since he fell and hit his head in a skiing accident on the French Alps five years ago.
He is understood to be receiving medical care at the family home near Lake Geneva in Switzerland, but updates regarding his health have been few and far between.
Michael Schumacher's family were right to keep his condition private, says F1 chief Ross Brawn
Brawn is one of a handful of people to have visited the stricken Ferrari legend as he recovers
The wall of secrecy, enforced at the request of his wife Corinna, was established to protect one of the biggest names in modern sporting times.
But the sporadic offerings about a driver who won a record seven world championships, 91 grands prix, and commanded a following of millions around the world, have led some to ponder whether more details should be made public.
Indeed, his former manager, Willi Weber said in 2017: 'I find it very unfortunate that Michael's fans do not know about his health. Why are they not being told the truth?'
Schumacher has not be seen in public since suffering a head injury while skiing in 2014
Yet Brawn, who helped mastermind Schumacher's success at Benetton and Ferrari, and has visited the former champion in Switzerland, does not concur.
'I am constantly in touch with Corinna, and I totally agree with their decision,' he said.
'Michael has always been a very private person and that's been a guiding principle in his career, his life and his family always agreed with that choice.
'It's completely understandable that
