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It’s been almost six years since the skiing accident that caused former Formula One driver Michael Schumacher’s traumatic brain injury, leaving him with permanent damage. Updates have been few and far between as the family has understandably requested privacy—but we now have a little bit of promising news straight from Jean Todt, former Ferrari boss and current FIA President.
In an interview with Radio Monte Carlo, Todt gave fans one of the first updates we’ve had in a while: Schumacher is making progress, and he’s even watching Formula One races.
“I’m always careful with such statements, but it’s true. I saw the race together with Michael Schumacher at his home in Switzerland,” Todt said, as transcribed by Fox Sports Australia. “Michael is in the best hands and is well looked after in his house. He does not give up and keeps fighting.”
Jean Todt held various management positions within the Ferrari F1 team (general manager, CEO, and special adviser) during the period of Schumacher’s dominance before being promoted to President of the FIA in 2009. If we’re looking for reliable sources about Schumacher’s condition, you can’t get much better than Todt.
That said, he doesn’t go into details out of respect for Schumacher’s family and their decision to keep updates about his condition largely under wraps. His only other update regards the general atmosphere of the Schumacher’s home, as transcribed in Fox Sports Australia:
“His family is fighting just as much and of course our friendship cannot be the same as it once was,” Todt added.
“Just because there’s no longer the same communication as before.
“He continues to fight. And his family is fighting the same way.”
It isn’t a particularly substantive update, but it is a promising one. It’s always good to hear about Schumacher, and it’s even better to know he’s still remaining strong.
Update August 1, 2019 9:22 AM EST: I’ve dug into this deeper and learned that Jean Todt has given similar updates on Michael Schumacher’s condition and his ability to watch races in the past.