Updates on the condition of Michael Schumacher are few and far between, with the German racing legend still reeling from the impact of his shocking skiing accident almost a decade ago.
54-year-old Schumacher has not been seen publicly since a fall while skiing off-piste in the French Alps on December 29th 2013. Schumacher fell and sustained a serious injury when his head struck a rock, even with a ski helmet on.
In an interview with French publication L'Équipe earlier this week, ex-Ferrari team principal Jean Todt was asked about Michael Schumacher's condition. Todt was the team principal of Ferrari during Schumacher's immense period of success with the team in the 2000s.
The Frenchman gave a bittersweet response when asked about Schumacher's health, saying that he still gets to see his old friend, but that he is no longer "the Michael he used to be":
Michael is here, so I don't miss him...[but he] simply is not the Michael he used to be. He is different and wonderfully guided by his wife and children who protect him.
His life is different now and I have the privilege of sharing moments with him. That's all there is to say.
Unfortunately, fate struck him ten years ago. He is no longer the Michael we knew in F1.
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Michael Schumacher: Jean Todt gives rare update on F1 legend's condition
Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher, Jean Todt, and Juan Pablo Montoya on the podium of the 2006 San Marino GP (Photo: Shutterstock)
After his 2013 accident, Schumacher was initially placed into a medically induced coma at Grenoble Hospital and was moved to Lausanne University Hospital the following summer. He then returned home in September 2014.
Since that return home, updates have been seldom, with the family protecting Schumacher from the media frenzy he did so much to protect them from during his illustrious racing career.
Occasional updates have nonetheless arrived over the past decade from trusted family friends, and the latest arrived earlier this week from Jean
Jean Todt previously gave an update on Schumacher's health in the summer of 2022, in which he said he regularly watched Formula 1 races with Schumacher.
Earlier this year, German publication Die Aktuelle came in for immense criticism when they published an article purporting to be the "first interview" with Schumacher after his horrific accident. The piece was an AI-generated interview, and Schumacher's family confirmed their intention to sue.
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Michael Schumacher won 91 races and seven world championships during his record-breaking Formula 1 career, which spanned over two decades. His first race came with Irish team Jordan in 1991, before a move to Benetton brought two world championships in the mid-1990s.
His period with Ferrari was his most successful, and he won an historic five championships in a row between 2000 and 2004, before stepping away from the sport in 2006. He returned from retirement for three years with Mercedes in the early 2010s, a spell which brought one more podium.
His son Mick spent two years in F1 in 2021 and 2022 with Haas and is now a reserve driver for the Mercedes team with which his father finished his career.
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