It was a sunny Alpine morning as Michael Schumacher and his son Mick emerged, ten years ago, from their luxury chalet ready to take on the mountains.
An accomplished skier, F1 the retired seven-times world champion, 44, and his 14-year-old son set off on the Combe de Saulire ski run in the exclusive French resort of Meribel.
Footage from the driver’s helmet camera revealed he was not travelling at excessive speed for his abilities.
Yet, moments later, his skis struck a rock partly concealed beneath fresh snow and catapulted him and catapulted him 11ft head-first onto a second boulder.
The impact of the collision was so intense that it split his helmet in two and left him in a coma for 250 days.
Now his younger brother Ralf has admitted the F1 legend may never completely recover, despite receiving advanced medical treatment.
He said: “Nothing is like it used to be. That day held a lot of bad luck. This fate has changed our family.”