What happened to Michael Schumacher after skiing accident that almost killed him?
Until Lewis Hamilton came onto the racing scene, there was no argument about who was the best Formula One driver of all time.
Ask that question and 'Michael Schumacher' would be spoken back to you almost immediately, winning seven world titles across his illustrious career; a feat Hamilton has managed to tie but not beat.
The German - who once alluded to being The Stig on Top Gear - enjoyed two stints in the sport, racing in the iconic red of Ferrari for most of his career before returning with Mercedes for a brief three-year stint.
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After retiring for good from F1 back in 2012, tragedy struck the Schumacher family when Michael suffered a traumatic injury while on holiday.
Since then, he has not been seen in public as he recovers at home.
His family have kept details of his condition private, with updates extremely rare over the 11 years since the skiing incident.
What happened to Michael Schumacher?
Now 55, Schumacher had been on holiday in 2013 when the accident changed his life forever.
Skiing in the French Alps with his son Mick, who was then 14, Schumacher travelled across an off-piste area of the slope.
It was during this section that he fell and hit his head on a rock. Despite wearing a helmet - something doctors say saved his life - he suffered a serious head injury and was airlifted to hospital.
After being put in a medically-induced coma due to the traumatic brain injury he had suffered, Schumacher left hospital the following year after slowly being brought back to consciousness by medics.
Schumacher's life since the accident
Since the fall that saw him almost die, Schumacher has lived an intensely private life while being looked after by his family and private doctors. Little is known about his condition, with his loved ones asking for privacy over the years.
Some statements have been made in the public realm, with Schumacher's lawyer, Felix Damm, reporting in 2016 that the former F1 driver 'cannot walk'.
Schumacher's agent, Sabine Kehm, said the family was 'forced' to released a statement denying reports the German could move once again.
"Unfortunately we are forced by a recent press report to clarify that the assertion that Michael could move again is not true," she said.
"Such speculation is irresponsible, because given the seriousness of his injuries, his privacy is very important. Unfortunately they also give false hopes to many involved people."
Former Ferrari boss, Jean Todt, told L’Equipe that Schumacher is being 'wonderfully guided by his wife and children who protect him', adding: "His life is different now and I have the privilege of sharing moments with him. That’s all there is to say."
Recent developments on Schumacher's condition
In October 2023, family lawyer Felix Damm told German outlet LTO that no 'final report' on Schumacher's condition had been given due to one simple reason: privacy.
Damm said: “It was always about protecting private things. We considered whether a final report about Michael’s health could be the right way to do this.
"But that wouldn’t have been the end of it and there would have had to be constantly updated ‘water level reports’ and it would not have been up to the family when the media interest in the story stopped."
Topics: Michael Schumacher, Formula 1, Extreme Sports, Sport, Celebrity, Viral, Health
Tom Earnshaw