Formula One legend Michael Schumacher "sometimes cries" when he recognises a familiar sound or sees the surroundings of his home.
The family of the seven-time F1 World Champion have provided very few health updates on him since 2013 in the aftermath of his skiing accident, opting for privacy while he recovers.
But in 2015, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported the heart-wrenching news that the German becomes emotional when he hears something familiar.
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"Schumi cries. And sometimes mysteriously," wrote reporter Giorgio Terruzi.
"He cries when he hears his children, his wife's voice, his dogs. In the silence of that room, a tear runs down his thin face at a known sound. There is life, enclosed in a drop – there is the strength of a man who is moved and that moves each of us. We have his tears, his senses exposed."
And in 2018, French magazine Match quoted a "close relative" of Schumacher, who revealed that he also gets emotional when he takes in stunning views near his home.
"When you put him in his wheelchair facing the beautiful panorama of the mountains overlooking the lake, Michael sometimes cries," they said.
Schumacher has rarely been seen in public since the terrible accident while skiing with his then-14-year-old son Mick (who now races in F1).
While crossing an unsecured off-piste area between Piste Chamois and Piste Mauduit, he fell and hit his head on a rock, sustaining a serious head injury despite wearing a ski helmet.
Ex-Ferrari boss and Michael's close friend Jean Todt revealed in 2019 that he could barely communicate - but still watches F1 races when he can.
His wife Corrina broke down in tears while attending an emotional ceremony on July 20, where Schumacher was awarded the State Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The prestigious prize was awarded to Schumacher in recognition of his achievements, with Corinna left in tears on stage.
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