Formula One fans paid a touching tribute to racing great Michael Schumacher by unveiling a 30-metre banner in his honour at pre-season testing in Barcelona.

The banner, which read 'Michael Forever', was put up on the main grandstand of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya by the Ferrari supporters club in memory of one of their greatest drivers.

Schumacher, a seven-time World Champion suffered a traumatic brain injury after a skiing accident in December 2013, after which he was placed in a medically induced coma for six months.

His family have been very protective of his privacy and have revealed little about his condition in the intervening years, but it is understood that he is currently receiving treatment at his home after spells in hospital in Switzerland and France.

The 49-year-old German dominated the sport at the turn of the century and is widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers to ever sit behind an F1 wheel.

He powered the Ferrari to five of his world titles, and became a hero to the passionate tifosi of the iconic red car.

Five consecutive titles with Ferrari from 2000 to 2004 followed on from two remarkable championships claimed with an unfancied Benneton car in '94 and '95.

Added to this, he is still the sport's leader in terms of number of podiums, pole positions, and race victories, as he dominated F1 to an extent not seen before or since. 

His incredible achievements live on in the remarkable statistics of his career and in the plentiful footage of his majestic driving, but also poignantly in the hearts of fans of the sport who will not let his memory die with moving tributes such as the one placed at the track in Barcelona.

The Ferrari team may have received some inspiration from the towering banner in honour of their former idol as Schumacher's compatriot Sebastian Vettel was fastest in testing as anticipation grows ahead of the upcoming season. 

It would be fitting if the Prancing Horse could ascend again to the top of the F1 ladder and perhaps lift the spirits of its tragically stricken champion.