Michael Schumacher Latest Health Condition Update: F1 Racing World Champion Improving 17 Months after Ski Accident

May 26, 2015 04:21 AM EDT

Seventeen months after his horrific crash in the French Alps, Formula One legend and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher  is "making progress" but full recovery is a long way, his manager, Sabine Kehm, said in a video conference.

Kehm said in the video interview released Friday to describe the condition of Schumacher, "We are happy to say still he does improvement and I say this always considering the severeness of the injury he had."

And added, "But of course it will take a very long time for everybody involved to fight, and we are happy to take this fight."

The report said the interview was released to coincide with the launch of a watch that Schumacher helped design. The watch was presented near the F1 legend's home in Gland on Lake Geneva where is currently recovering.

But Kehm said that while Schumacher continues to recover from his near-fatal skiing crash in December 2013, the public "must always keep the seriousness of his injuries in mind," reported Express.co.uk.

The 46-year-old Schumacher was skiing with his 14-year-old son during a vacation in the French Alps when he hit his head on a rock in an off-piste area between two marked runs in Maribel. The German F1 driver sustained severe head injuries resulting from the crash.

Schumacher was in coma for several months and was confined in a hospital in the French town of Grenoble. In June 2014, his family decided to transfer him to a Swiss hospital after Schumacher regained consciousness.

In September, his wife Corinna, decided to take him home to Gland on Lake Geneva to start his long process of rehabilitation. Corinna has imposed a tight news blackout about Schumacher's condition.

Schumacher, who won 91 races in his storied F1 career, is listed as the wealthiest driver ever to have raced in Formula One, amassing a fortune estimated to be over £520 million.

But his family is also believed to be spending £100,000-a-week for his care, with the total amount spent for his rehabilitation has spiraled to more than £10 million.

This prompted speculations that the family is facing some financial difficulty due to the rising cost of Schumacher's medical needs as Corrina has started to sell some of the family's properties.

But, according to VCPost, Corinna was selling only assets and properties that are no longer needed.

Corinna was believed to have sold the Schumacher's £2 million holiday home in Norway as well as their private jet which fetched an estimated £25 million.