Michael Schumacher’s skiing accident occurred 12 years ago to the day.

Mick Schumacher paid tribute to his father Michael on his birthday (Image: Getty)

Mick Schumacher shared a touching tribute to his father, F1 legend Michael Schumacher, on his birthday. Last January, on the occasion of Schumacher’s 55th birthday, both Mick and his sister Gina took to social media to express their affection for their father.

The seven-time world champion, who is now 56, has not been seen in public since he suffered a life-changing skiing accident in December 2013. Schumacher sustained serious head injuries after colliding with a rock in the French Alps, which led to him being placed in a medically induced coma.

Updates on his condition have been few and far between, with his wife Corinna fiercely guarding his privacy and that of their family. However, it is known that the German icon requires ongoing care from his wife and medical staff. Despite the scarcity of information about Schumacher’s health, his children showered him with love on social media last year.

Mick, who previously raced in F1 for two years with Haas and now participates in the IndyCar Series, posted a childhood photo of himself with his father on Instagram. In the picture, both are wearing racing helmets, with Mick captioning the post: “Happy birthday to the best Dad ever. Love you!” Gina, Schumacher’s eldest child, also used the platform to share a photo of herself, her brother and their father smiling, with the caption: “Happy Birthday Papa! throwback to one of many of our adventures.”

During the pinnacle of his illustrious F1 career, Schumacher secured an unprecedented five straight championships with Ferrari between 2000 and 2004. The team’s ex-principal Jean Todt forged a close friendship with the German throughout their collaboration, and Todt, 79, remains among a tiny handful of privileged individuals permitted to see him.

Mick Schumacher shared a touching moment with his father on social media (Image: mickschumacher / Instagram)

In a recent conversation with Italian publication La Repubblica regarding Schumacher’s state, the Frenchman said: “The family has decided not to answer the question [about Schumacher’s health], a choice that I respect. I see him regularly and with affection, him and his family. Our bond goes beyond the past work. It is part of my life which today is very far from Formula 1.”

Last year, Todt disclosed that the German is “no longer” the same individual who ruled the racing circuit in F1. “Michael is here, so I don’t miss him,” Todt explained. “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.” Todt is understood to be amongst nine individuals granted access to Schumacher, with that exclusive roster being managed by Corinna.

Gina Schumacher posted the throwback picture of the family on Instagram (Image: Instagram/gina_schumacher)

Richard Hopkins, previously Red Bull’s head of operations, developed a bond with Schumacher during their respective careers, with the Briton outlining the visiting protocols established by Corinna for seeing the motorsport legend at his Lake Geneva residence.

In a conversation with SPORTbible, Hopkins stated: “I think it’s fairly clear. There are only two, three, four people that we know of. There are probably others. Michael had friendships with people who weren’t owners of Formula One teams or racing drivers. So I’m sure there are people who probably see him that we just don’t know about, because we don’t know their names. But there are fairly strict rules, and we don’t talk about those rules.

“I’m not going to try and visit Michael, because I know that’s not going to happen, and I’m one of thousands in that position of knowing it’s not possible. If you’re Jean Todt, your friendship is at the point where that’s okay. I don’t think there’s a written rule or a list of names. It’s just one of those known things.”