A year into recovery, Schumacher fights on

A year into his recovery from the severe head injuries he suffered in a skiing accident in the French Alps, 7-time F1 world champion Michael Schumacher remains in seclusion at his home in Switzerland. The Schumacher family continues to keep the details of his condition private – the last official update provided by Sabine Kehm, Schumacher’s longtime manager, was issued in September, stating: “Considering the severe head injuries he suffered, progress has been made in the past weeks and months. There is still, however, a long and difficult road ahead.”

After his accident on Dec. 29, 2013, Schumacher spent five months at Grenoble Hospital in southern France in a medically induced coma. After being brought out of the coma by doctors in June, he was transferred to Lausanne Hospital in Switzerland before returning to his home on the shores of Lake Geneva in September.

Philippe Streiff, a former F1 driver who was paralyzed in a testing accident in 1989, recently told  French newspaper Le Parisien that Schumacher "had yet to recover the power of speech" but was "starting to recognize those close to him." Streiff claimed he had obtained his information after being in contact with Schumacher's wife and the surgeon who is treating him. However, Kehm called Streiff's claims “factually wrong,” telling the Reuters news agency: “We need a long time. It's going to be a long time and a hard fight. He is making progress appropriate to the severity of the situation.”

Schumacher, who won world championships with Ford- and Renault-powered Benettons and with Ferrari, and a record 91 grands prix before ending his career with Mercedes, will turn 46 on Jan. 3.