Jean Todt insists that Michael Schumacher is "still fighting" following his ski accident in late 2013.

When Lewis Hamilton secured his third title in Austin last week, thereby joining a unique club that includes Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet and, of course, the Briton's all-time hero, Ayrton Senna, it was impossible not to think of Michael Schumacher who amassed seven titles over the course of his 18 year career.

Tragically, a year after his (second) retirement from the sport in 2012, the German was critically injured in a skiing accident in the French Alps.

Having been placed in an induced coma, by April 2014 he was showing "moments of consciousness" and consequently slowly brought out of the coma.

By June 2014 he had regained consciousness and left Grenoble Hospital to continue his rehabilitation at the University Hospital in Lausanne, leaving there in September that year to continue the process at his home in Switzerland.

Although official, and therefore reliable, updates have been virtually non-existent since, in May this year his manager Sabine Kehm said that his condition is slowly improving "considering the severity of the injury he had"

Speaking to reporters in Mexico, Jean Todt, who took Schumacher to Ferrari and oversaw the German win five of his titles, insisted that the seven-time champ is "still fighting".

"It was interesting last week after Lewis was world champion for the third time, you saw the figures," said the Frenchman. "I was very proud of what Michael did and sometimes you tend to forget what he did.

"Michael is a close friend, his family is very close to me and I am very close to them as well," he continued. "I see Michael very often and Michael is still fighting. And we must keep him fighting, with the family."

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