After months of silence, continuous requests for prayers, and cautious statements, supporters of Michael Schumacher received a sliver of hope that their idol might just pull through and recover.

Luca Di Montezemolo, former president of Ferrari, inadvertently gave fans of the legendary F1 driver hope that he might recover from the freak skiing accident he was involved in more than two years ago when he told CNN that he was "very pleased to know that he is reacting."

This is certainly good news, and a reversal of Di Montezemolo's previous statement. The 68-year-old Italian businessman said way back in February that he had news about his former star, but said it was not good.

While Di Montezemolo didn't expound on what he meant by Schumi "reacting," it's still welcome news as this is first time in months that anyone had commented on the state of the 47-year-old racing driver's health.

Schumacher's former boss also stated his belief that the German racer's strength will help him in his biggest challenge.

"I know how strong he is," Di Montezemolo said. "I'm sure that thanks to his determination — which will be crucial — he will come out from this very, very difficult situation ... And I really hope."

It's easy to understand why the ex-Ferrari boss is still rooting for Schumacher. The Formula One World Champion had given his team several world titles and is considered as one of Ferrari's most important drivers.

"He was an important member of the family and for me it's difficult to separate Michael as a driver from Michael as a friend," Di Montezemolo explained.

Schumacher had an accident while skiing during his vacation in the French Alps in 2013. The iconic racer suffered extensive head injuries and has since been recovering at his lakeside home in Switzerland, attended by a premiere team of doctors and caregivers.