Michael Schumacher has started to recognise family as he continues on his "long and difficult" road to recovery. It is reported that the Seven-time Formula One winning champion cries when he hears the voices of his children and wife. Schumacher sustained a serious head injury while holidaying at the French ski resort, Meribel, just over a year ago. The driving ace emerged from a medically induced coma in June and has been making slow progress since. In an article published by Italian newspaper Corriere della Serra, Giorgio Terruzi writes: "Schumi cries. And sometimes mysteriously. He cries when he hears his children, his wife's voice, his dogs. In the silence of that room, a tear runs down his thin face at a known sound. "We have a man that we usually consider unbeatable... engaged in a struggle". "Inside this we can find... There is life, enclosed in a drop; there is the strength of a man who is moved and that moves each of us," he added. "We have his tears, his senses exposed". Yesterday marked the racing champion's 46th birthday. Fellow racers and friends took to social media to send him birthday wishes.

Happy birthday my brother be strong!! Love you pic.twitter.com/XDvCQ8R3mZ

— Felipe Massa (@MassaFelipe19) January 3, 2015