Helped by his wife, Michael Schumacher has signed a crash helmet that will auctioned off for charity.
The F1 legend, who suffered a devastating head injury in a ski accident 12 years ago, wrote his initials, MS, with the guiding hand of Corinna.
Money raised from the sale will go to Race Against Dementia, a charity set up by former British racing champion Sir Jackie Stewart.
The white helmet Schumacher signed was worn by Stewart, 85, during his long career, and has also been signed by every other living F1 champion, the charity said.
As a nod to Stewart’s Scottish background, it bears a strip of Royal Stewart Tartan.
Stewart told the MailOnline the charity has managed to get every living F1 champion to sign an item for the auction.
Speaking about Schumacher, he said: ‘It is wonderful that Michael could sign the helmet in this worthy cause – a disease for which there is no cure.
‘His wife helped him, and it completed the set of every single champion still with us.’
The helmet was revealed at today’s Bahrain Grand Prix, where Stewart also drove his 1973 championship-winning Tyrrell on an exhibition lap before the race.
Race Against Dementia was set up by Stewart after his wife Lady Helen, who is 84, started to suffer dementia.
In a BBC documentary, broadcast last week, he said she asked him recently, ‘Where’s Jackie?’ as she got up for dinner.
‘That was the first time it has happened. She is in a new world.’
How is Schumacher today?
Schumacher’s family have been extremely secretive about his condition, being fiercely protective of his privacy.
The German driver, who still holds several F1 records 13 years after his retirement, sustained a severe brain injury in a skiing accident while visiting the French Alps in December 2013.
He was taken to a hospital in Grenoble and placed in a medically induced coma. After being withdrawn from the coma, he returned home in September 2014 to continue recovering.
A neurosurgery expert said previously that Schumacher – known affectionately as Schumi – may have had a ‘private hospital built around him’ at home on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland.
Others say it’s likely he is bedridden.
Felix Gorner, who is thought to be one of the journalists closest to the family, said in recently resurfaced quotes from a previous interview thatthe former racing driver is non verbal.
‘The situation is very sad,’ he said.
‘He needs constant care and is completely dependent on his caregivers. And he can no longer express himself verbally.
‘Currently, there’s a maximum of 20 people who can approach Michael.
(Picture: AFP or licensors)
‘And, in my opinion, it’s the right strategy. Because the family is acting in Michael’s best interests.
‘They’ve always strictly protected his privacy, and that hasn’t changed.’
Schumacher recently became a grandfather after his daughter Gina-Maria and her husband Iain Bethke had a baby girl called Millie.
Gina-Maria, 28, wrote on Instagram: ‘Welcome to the world, Millie Born on March 29th, our hearts are fuller than ever. We are beyond blessed to have you in our lives.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.