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It was not meant to become an annual ritual but, sadly, here we are.

In the lead-up to this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, I did what I’ve done twice before — reached out to Michael Schumacher’s management seeking an update on the medical status of the Formula One great.

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The first time was in the days before the Montreal race two years ago, six months after Schumacher suffered serious head injuries in a freak accident while skiing in the French alps.

Back then, he had been placed in an induced coma to allow his brain to heal, and the hope was that he would soon emerge from that as he was before, or at least close to it.

Photo by Alex Grimm / Bongarts/Getty Images

Somehow anything less seemed inconceivable for the larger-than-life German who rewrote the record books during two decades in F1, and into his 40s remained fit and active in retirement.

And yet there would be no good news, or much news of any kind, for many months to come.

By the time the Canadian Grand Prix rolled around again, all we knew was Schumacher was no longer in a coma, and was continuing his rehabilitation at his Swiss home, which had been adapted to provide specialized care around the clock.