Michael Schumacher's close friend gives sad update on F1 legend 10 years after life-changing ski accident

Former FIA president and Ferrari team principal Jean Todt has spoken about the health of Michael Schumacher upon the 10-year anniversary of his devastating skiing accident.

The F1 legend sustained serious head injuries in the accident, which occurred in the French Alps in December 2013.

He was airlifted to hospital in Grenoble, where he was placed in a medically induced coma until June 2014.

In a press conference, doctors described the impact as a 'very violent shock', and that Schumacher's life was saved by wearing a helmet.

Since the accident, the Schumacher family has not released any details on the seven-time F1 world champion's condition, in order to protect his privacy.

Only the German's immediate family and close friends are allowed to visit him.

They include Todt, who convinced Schumacher to sign for Ferrari in 1995 and was his team principal until the F1 legend's first retirement in 2006. He later served three full terms as the president of the FIA between 2009 and 2021.

The Frenchman, who previously revealed that he still watches F1 races with Schumacher, told L'Equipe earlier this month (quotes via The Independent): "Michael is here, so I don't miss him.

"[But he] is simply not the Michael he used to be. He is different, and is 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 Formula 1."

Schumacher is considered as one of the greatest F1 drivers in history, having won a joint-record seven world titles between 1994 and 2004.

He won his first two titles with Benetton, before moving to Ferrari and dominating the sport for much of the next decade.

His record of 91 F1 race wins stood for 14 years until 2020, when Lewis Hamilton broke it on the way to equalling the record of seven world titles.

After retirement in 2006, Schumacher was planned for a return to Ferrari following Felipe Massa's season-ending crash in 2009, but a motorcycle crash suffered months earlier thwarted those plans.

He did make a stunning comeback the following season with Mercedes and, while competitive, suffered from a mixture of bad luck and uncompetitive machinery before retiring for the second time at the end of the 2012 season.

His son, Mick, won the Formula 2 title in 2020 before stepping up to F1 with Haas the following year.

He was dropped by the team after two seasons, and will combine racing in the 2024 World Endurance Championship with his role as Mercedes' reserve driver.