Former racing driver Philippe Streiff said that Michael Schumacher is paralyzed, bound to a wheelchair and has problems with memory and speech.

MOSCOW, November 19 (Sputnik) – Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher is paralyzed, bound to a wheelchair and has problems with memory and speech, former racing driver Philippe Streiff said.

"Schumacher is better, but everything is relative. He can't speak. He is paralyzed and is in a wheelchair. He has problems with memory and speech. As soon as he is with his family again, he will be able to recover faster, but it will be difficult," said Streiff was quoted as saying Tuesday by F1i Magazine.

Streiff himself is bound to a wheelchair since a crash in Brazil during pre-season tests in 1989 left him a quadriplegic.

Michael Schumacher suffered a severe head injury while skiing in the French resort of Meribel in December 2013. He underwent brain surgery at a clinic in Grenoble, France, and was then put in a medically induced coma. In June, the retired German racing driver woke up from his coma and left the clinic for a rehabilitation facility in Lausanne, Switzerland. In September, Schumacher was released to continue further treatment at home as his condition improved.

Schumacher is widely referred to as one of the greatest racing drivers of all time. He won a total of 91 races and had 155 podium finishes, more than any other Formula One driver. He retired from Formula One driving at the end of the 2012 season.