homeSports

Michael Schumacher health condition latest update: F1 racer shows 'encouraging signs' of recovery, says Ex-Mercedes boss

Mercedes Formula One driver Michael Schumacher of Germany walks in parc ferme after the qualifying session of the Malaysian F1 Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit outside Kuala Lumpur March 24, 2012. | Reuters/Tim Chong

It's been almost three years since Michael Schumacher's skiing accident and details about the legendary Formula One (F1) racer's current condition contain more speculations than truth, owing to his family's appeal for privacy.

Fans and friends alike are holding out hope that Schumacher will soon recover from the devastating aftermath of a family skiing trip in the Alpine resort of Meribel in December 2013. The seven-time world champion hit his head on a rock and was put in a medically induced coma for six months before he was eventually transferred to their family home on the shores of Lake Geneva to continue his recovery there.

It's been more than two years since and what little is known about Schumacher's health status have been shared in bits and pieces by people who are close to his family.

Most recently, Ross Brawn, the ex-Ferrari technical director and former Mercedes boss who saw Schumacher through all of his championships, told BBC that the German F1 racer has been showing "encouraging signs" of recovery, and that they hope and pray to see more of these positive progressions every day.

Brawn did not say anything more than out of respect for the family's request for privacy. He also mentioned that although there have been a lot of speculations about the former racer's condition, most of these were wrong.

Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm has previously called such speculations as "irresponsible" after German magazine Bunte claimed that the gravely injured racer was able to walk again. The claim has since been debunked and a lawsuit was filed against the publication. A decision regarding the case is expected to be made this month.

If Brawn's update is true, then it seems that Schumacher's condition is headed for the better. This comes at the heels of conflicting reports of optimism and appeals for a miracle shared by some of the racer's friends and colleagues earlier this year.

Fans continue to hold out for favorable news on Schumacher's health condition, and have been showing their support for the legendary F1 racer through various means.

Indian sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik works on a sand sculpture of seven-times Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher to wish him a speedy recovery at Puri in the eastern Indian state of Odisha January 2, 2014. | Reuters/Stringer