Legendary Schumacher Still Fighting Says Todt

FIA president and former Ferrari team principal Jean Todt says that the legendary Schumacher is still fighting to recover from his skiing accident in late 2013. Michael suffered severe head injuries in a fall while skiing in the French Alps in December 2013. He spent six months in a coma before returning home in July 2014 to continue his recovery. Since then, the seven-time world champion’s family and manager have been silent on his recovery, preferring privacy. Todt, one of Schumacher’s closest associates, says that he continues to fight on the road to recovery.

Todt said, “It was interesting last week after Lewis [Hamilton] was world champion for the third time. You saw the figures. I was very proud of what Michael [achieved]. Sometimes you tend to forget what he did. Michael is a close friend, his family is very close to me, and I’m very close to them as well. I see Michael very often, and Michael is still fighting, and we must keep him fighting with the family.”

Following Hamilton’s championship victory, he and Sebastian Vettel’s championships combined have overtaken Schumacher. Vettel still says that his fellow German remains his hero.

“I think it’s because, the way I think of Michael is with massive respect for what he has achieved,” Vettel said. “He is my childhood hero. In many ways still my hero. Especially since the day I joined Ferrari – to know what he did with the team and what especially he did to be that successful makes me respect him even more. So, yeah, I don’t really want to go near… I’m very, very happy to be in the position that I am – and of course my target is to win the championship with Ferrari – but I haven’t put a number to it and I wouldn’t dare to think about equalling Michael.”

A few months ago, Mick, son of the legendary Schumacher drove Michael’s Benetton at the Spa Francorchamps circuit. That same Benetton was the car in which Michael won his first world championship. If Michael had been there, he would have been proud.