A sad update has been issued

The seven-time Formula 1 world champion, who became synonymous with Ferrari in the early 2000s, suffered a skiing accident in 2012 and hasn’t been seen in public since.

The 56-year-old had been skiing with his son Mick, who is now a racing driver for Alpine, at the time of the incident.

His family chose to keep his health as private as they could following the accident but a reporter, who is said to be a friend of the family has given a rare update on the sporting icons condition.

Felix Gorner said: “The situation is very sad. He needs constant care and is completely dependent on his caregivers. He can no longer express himself verbally.

“Currently, there’s a maximum of 20 people who can approach Michael. They’ve always strictly protected his privacy, and that hasn’t changed.”

Schumacher has been receiving constant medical care at their family home in Switzerland with only a select handful of people being allowed to visit him.

Among those few people is Jean Todt, who was team boss at Ferrari during Schumacher’s tenure. Speaking to La Repubblica recently, he said: “I see him regularly and with affection, him and his family. Our bond goes beyond the past work.

“It is part of my life, which today is very far from Formula 1.”

Recently, the family were embroiled in a blackmailing case after people they once believed they could trust threatened to release photos of Schumacher to the press.