As Michael Schumacher joined the list of F1 World Champions signing the helmet Jackie Stewart wore in Bahrain last month, Johnny Herbert called it “something emotional” and hopefully a sign that Schumacher is on “the mend”.

Last month, Stewart drove his title-winning 1973 Tyrrell 006 F1 car in a demo run at the Bahrain circuit with the triple F1 World Champion wearing a special helmet that would be auctioned to raise money for his ‘Race Against Dementia’ charity.

‘Maybe we’ll hopefully see him in the F1 paddock soon’

Stewart set up ‘Race Against Dementia’ when his wife Helen was diagnosed with dementia, the programming funding and sporting scientific talent by backing promising research projects to accelerate progress towards a cure and treatment.

One signature on that helmet was more poignant than the others.

12 years on from his horrific skiing accident that left him with a severe brain injury, Schumacher – with the help of his wife Corinna – signed the iconic helmet that Stewart wore when he drove the 1973 Tyrrell 006 F1 car during a demo run at the Bahrain International Circuit ahead of the 2025 Grand Prix.

Adding to the moment, the demo run was widely tipped to be the 85-year-old Stewart’s final run in a Formula 1 car.

The latest on Michael Schumacher

👉 Michael Schumacher accident: Separating facts from fiction 11 years on

👉 Revealed: Michael Schumacher’s reaction to Senna’s crash unearthed

Schumacher joined every one of today’s F1 champions in signing the helmet, his signature appearing on the front right of the helmet. Today’s World Champions Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen also made their marks as the helmet was flown around the world for every one of today’s champs to sign it.

“It is wonderful that Michael could sign the helmet in this worthy cause – a disease for which there is no cure. His wife helped him, and it completed the set of every single champion still with us,” Stewart told the Daily Mail.

Herbert, Schumacher’s team-mate during his title-winning seasons with Benetton, hopes it is a sign that the German is on the mend.

“It was a wonderful moment,” Schumacher’s former team-mate told FastSlots. “We haven’t seen something emotional like this in years, and hopefully, it’s a sign.

“Hopefully, Michael is on the mend. It’s been a long, horrible journey for the family, and maybe we’ll hopefully see him in the F1 paddock soon.

“Michael Schumacher making an appearance at an F1 race weekend would be one of those special moments from one of the greatest drivers we have ever seen.

“It would be so welcomed, not just from everyone in the paddock, but everyone around the world. Considering the awful situation he found himself in, and to battle back against it, it would be amazing. I hope we continue to hear this positive news more often.”

The Briton, though, isn’t privy to Schumacher’s recovery as his family has kept his health private from all but a small group of people.

Schumacher suffered a severe brain injury when he crashed while skiing with his son Mick in the French Alps in December 2013.

Schumacher hit one of the several exposed rocks in the uncleared section of snow and lost control. Launched through the air, Schumacher fell and collided with another rock 10 metres away, striking the right side of his head. His helmet was cracked in two by the impact.

He underwent several life-saving operations and was placed in a medically induced coma with his family revealing in April 2014 that he was showing some signs of ‘consciousness and awakening’.

Two months later, Schumacher was confirmed as no longer in a coma and was able to leave Grenoble Hospital, taken to the University Hospital of Lausanne in Switzerland after which he was released to go home to continue his recovery.

His family have vehemently maintained his privacy in the years since.

Read next: Ferrari create ‘nonsensical mess’ with new look for Miami Grand Prix