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Jeremy Clarkson was slammed after he made a tasteless joke about Michael Schumacher’s desperate condition on Twitter.

The Top Gear star, 53, wrote in a reference to co-presenter Richard Hammond’s horror crash: “The worrying thing about brain injuries is that you can recover only to find you’re a midget with a marked Birmingham accent when drunk.”

Clarkson said in another ill-timed tweet: “In other words, it’s possible after even a big brain bang to go back to exactly how you were before.”

Brad Hardwick tweeted back: “Somewhat insensitive that Mr Clarkson. I thought Schumacher was a pal of yours.”

And Martyn Webster wrote: “Big fan of yours Clarkson but very disrespectful to joke about it at this time.

“Thoughts are with the Schumacher family.”

Schumacher appeared on Top Gear in 2009 to 'reveal' himself as the show's legendary Stig character - although he wore the white overalls only once.

Hammond has told the Mirror of his shock at Schumacher's ski accident - and revealed the news was even worse for wife Mindy.

He said: “Mindy’s face fell when she heard about Michael because it stirs memories for her more than it does for me.

“She is immediately taken back to what happened to me more than I am because I was in a coma. It’s very hard for those around the injured person."

Read the full interview here.

An update is expected on Schumacher's condition on Tuesday morning. Get all the latest news on the situation in our live coverage here.