Emily Puckering
Michael Schumacher's wife broke down in tears when the Formula 1 world champion was honoured at an emotional ceremony earlier this week.
On Wednesday (20 July), Schumacher was awarded the prestigious State Prize at Motorworld in Cologne, the highest honour granted by the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
NRW Minister President Hendrik Wust said of the honour: "Michael Schumacher's work as a sportsman and as a supporter of good causes radiates far beyond the borders of his home state of North Rhine-Westphalia."
They also praised the seven-time world champion as one of the most 'outstanding personalities in the history of sport worldwide', adding that he 'always kept his feet on the ground and always kept an eye on his fellow human beings'.
Advert
Of course, Schumacher wasn't present at Wednesday's event and instead, his wife Corinna Schumacher and daughter Gina-Maria attended to accept the award on his behalf.
The pair's son, Mick – who is currently racing for Formula 1 team Haas – was sadly unable to attend due to illness.
Corinna and Gina-Maria were joined on stage by former FIA President and Ferrari chief Jean Todt, and emotions were clearly high when a tribute was paid to Schumacher, followed by a standing ovation.
Corinna was seen breaking down in tears during the touching moment as her 25-year-old daughter stood by her side.
Advert
Following the event, Totd took to Twitter to further honour the former Ferrari driver's career, saying: "An emotional ceremony in Cologne to honour Michael Schumacher's outstanding career and charitable streak with Corinna, Gina, Mick Schumacher and Henrik Wust.
"I met Michael 30 years ago, with Ferrari, living his passion and bringing joy to millions of us!"
In response to the standing ovation Schumacher received, Totd later told German news outlet Bild: "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."
Schumacher – who is considered one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time – was involved in a tragic skiing accident in 2013, resulting in a severe brain injury.
Advert
The driver was skiing on the slopes above Méribel in the French Alps on December 29, 2013 with his son Mick when he fell and hit his head on a rock.
Despite wearing a ski helmet, Schumacher was placed in an induced coma and although he was awoken in 2014, he has since been living in rehabilitation in his family home in Switzerland and is yet to be seen in the public eye.
Last year, his family broke their eight-year silence by releasing Netflix documentary Schumacher, in which Corinna explained: "We're together. We live together at home. We do therapy.
"We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he's comfortable."