Michael Schumacher receives emotional birthday message from son Mick

Haas Formula 1 Team driver Mick Schumacher has a legendary name, and anyone who is a fan of F1 is aware that he is the son of racing legend Michael Schumacher. On January 3, the seven-time F1 world champion turned 53 years old, and his son took to social media to share an emotional message.

In a Twitter post, Mick shared a photo of his father wearing a plain white racing suit. In his arms, a young Mick could be seen also wearing racing gear in what appears to be a poignant memory in his earliest days learning the trade from his famous father.

Along with the photo, Mick wrote, "Happy Birthday, Dad Days like these were important to my growing passion for Motorsport, and still affect it to this day. I am grateful for all the experiences you have given me and I'm excited to be making new ones in the future."

F1 fans all over the world were touched by the message for the the stricken former F1 driver, who is eight years into his battle to recover after suffering a massive brain injury during a ski accident.

The accident took place on December 31 in 2013, just days before his birthday. The prolific athlete is an experienced skier, and was with his young son skiing off-piste on that fateful day when he fell and hit his head on a rock. He was reported to be conscious in the immediate aftermath, but the injuries caused enough brain damage to force doctors to put him in a medically-induced coma for six months.

He was later discharged and has been receiving professional medical care at the family home in Geneva, Switzerland, but he has never been seen in the public eye since. No one has spoken about the real status of his recovery, with very few close friends allowed to visit. Former Ferrari team principal Jean Todt is one of the members of the inner circle, but his updates only confirm that he has been able to see Michael, and that the latter is still fighting.

Mick joined Formula 1 in 2021 as a rookie for the Haas team, with fans all over the world feeling emotional to see the MSC name back up on the time sheets. He has not spoken much about his father, but in a documentary released by the family last year, he hinted that he is not able to communicate with his father as freely as he would have liked. The legendary driver may not be able to offer his child sound advice for now, but it is said that Michael is at least able to watch races.

Meanwhile, Scuderia Ferrari, where Michael won five of his seven world titles, have played a big part in Mick's career. Despite languishing at the back of the field in an inferior Haas car, Mick has earned himself a role as a Ferrari reserve driver alongside Antonio Giovinazzi in 2022.