Almost a year after his ski accident in the French Alps, injured Formula One racer Michael Schumacher is reportedly paralyzed and having difficulty speaking.

According to The Age, fellow F1 racer Philippe Streiff, a good friend of Schumacher, told French radio: "It's very difficult. He can't speak. Like me, he is in a wheelchair, paralysed. He has memory problems and speech problems."

In a report by ABC, it was noted that Streiff was able to visit Schumacher when he was still confined in the intensive care unit of Grenoble Hospital in France after the accident. Schumacher is currently recovering at his residence near Lake Geneva.

Streiff was injured during preseason testing for a race in Brazil 25 years ago which left him permanently unable to move or feel both arms and both legs, The Age noted.

Schumacher's long road to recovery 

Sabine Kehm, Schumacher's spokesperson, said that Streiff's comments were "his opinions" and that the racer did not contact them prior to releasing his statement, ABC added.

There have been very few reports about the current condition of the racer as his family continues to deny discussing his present state. The few details available on Schumacher, according to The Age, is the fact that he underwent head surgery two days after the accident to "relieve pressure in his brain." He was also placed in induced coma for six months.

An investigation on the accident revealed that the ski resort in Meribel where the racer was skiing was not responsible for his injuries. Schumacher reportedly decided to ski in an area "not designated or groomed" by the resort.

On February 17, Prosecutor Patrick Quincy ruled that there was no criminal wrongdoing during the accident and closed the case. Daily Mail said that all proper ski areas in the resort were marked correctly to guide people.

Daily Mail added that though Schumacher was not skiing really fast, a video footage captured by the camera attached to his helmet showed that he lost control and fell 34 feet, hitting his head to a rock.

The collision, the report noted, shattered his helmet but did not destroy the footage recorded by the camera on his head.

Earlier reports revealed that Schumacher has shown "moments of consciousness and awakening," according to Kehm via Daily Mail. The racer was already able to open his eyes and have minimal interaction with people around him, the report added.