Michael Schumacher has communicated 'with his eyes' in the years since suffering a traumatic brain injury in 2013, according to the ex-wife of one of the F1 legend's close friends.
Schumacher was airlifted to hospital after suffering blunt force trauma to his head in a skiing accident in the French Alps.
The seven-time F1 world champion, who was skiing with his son Mick, was placed in a medically-induced coma, which he was lifted out of in June 2014.
He subsequently travelled to a private property alongside his family for further treatment.
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Schumacher has not been seen in public since his accident, with his family choosing to keep details surrounding his health and condition private.
But others have made various claims in the press about the Formula 1 legend.
Elisabetta Gregoraci, the ex-wife of current Alpine team principal Flavio Briatore, claimed to Spanish media that Schumacher 'communicates with his eyes' as of 2020, when the comments were made.
Briatore was Schumacher's team principal at Benetton, where the German won his first two Drivers' Championship titles in 1994 and 1995 before moving to Ferrari.
Gregoraci claimed: "Michael doesn't speak, he communicates with his eyes.
"Only three people can visit him, and I know who they are. They moved to Spain and his wife has set up a hospital in that house."
Earlier this year, Schumacher signed a helmet belonging to the three-time world champion Sir Jackie Stewart.
The helmet, which was subsequently auctioned by Stewart to raise funds for his Race Against Dementia charity, was signed by every living F1 world champion.
Stewart said that Schumacher signed the helmet with the aid of his wife, Corinna.
French journalist Stefan L'Hermitte theorised last month that the helmet signing could be a 'positive sign' over Schumacher's recovery.
However, there is no indication that L'Hermitte has any connection to Schumacher or any of his close family members.
The journalist did add: "Fundamentally, we don't know anything."
Topics: Michael Schumacher, Formula 1, Ferrari