Former F1 champ Michael Schumacher 'critical' after skiing fall

spaminator

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Former F1 champ Michael Schumacher 'critical' after skiing fall
REUTERS
First posted: Sunday, December 29, 2013 08:20 AM EST | Updated: Sunday, December 29, 2013 08:02 PM EST
LYON, FRANCE - Retired seven-times Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher was in 'critical' condition with head injuries after an off-piste skiing accident in the French Alps resort of Meribel, his agent said on Sunday.
The 44-year-old German was in hospital in Grenoble and under the care of Professor Gerard Saillant, a brain and spinal injury expert who is also president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) Institute.
"He suffered head trauma with coma that needed prompt neurosurgical treatment," Schumacher's agent Sabine Kehm said in a statement late in the evening, which a hospital official read to reporters.
"He remains in a critical condition."
A hospital official declined to give more details but said more information would be given on Monday.
Christophe Gernigon-Lecomte, the director of the Meribel ski resort where Schumacher has a vacation home, said earlier that the former champion was wearing a helmet when he fell and hit his head on a rock at around 11 a.m. local time (1000 GMT).
He added that the German had been conscious while being transported first to a local hospital in Moutiers before then being transferred to Grenoble.
"He was conscious but very agitated while being taken to hospital," said the director.
In Germany, Schumacher's accident topped news bulletins, with the bestselling tabloid newspaper Bild reporting on its website: "Schumi fighting for his life".
Bild reporters also said that Ross Brawn, the Briton who worked with Schumacher at Ferrari and Mercedes as technical director and team principal respectively, had arrived in Grenoble.
SHOCK AND PRAYERS
The Formula One community, and the wider world of motorsport, reacted with shock and prayers on social network Twitter for the champion to win his biggest battle.
"If anyone can pull through, it's him," said Britain's triple Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti, who is still walking on crutches after a huge crash in October that ended his racing career.
"Come on Michael, give us one of those race stints at pure qualifying pace to win through, like you used to. You can do it," said Schumacher's former Benetton team mate Martin Brundle.
Former Ferrari team mate Felipe Massa, who suffered a near fatal head injury at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, said he was praying for his friend.
Schumacher is the most successful Formula One driver of all time with a record 91 race victories in an extraordinary - and frequently controversial - career spanning more than two decades.
He won his first two titles with Benetton in 1994, the year when Brazilian triple champion Ayrton Senna died in a crash at the San Marino Grand Prix, and 1995.
The German then took five in a row with Ferrari between 2000 and 2004 in what now seems a golden age for the Italian team who named a square after him at their Fiorano test track.
Schumacher left the sport last year after a less successful three-year comeback with Mercedes following an earlier retirement from Ferrari at the end of 2006. He lives in Switzerland with his wife and two children.
Michael Schumacher raises the trophy as he celebrates victory in the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix in Spa Francorchamps, in this Sept. 1, 2002 file photo. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

Michael Schumacher fighting for his life after skiing fall | Motorsports | Sports | Toronto Sun
 
Blackleaf

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He's probably the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time. I didn't quite appreciate him beating Damon Hill to the World Championship in 1995 (although Hill won it the year after) but I hope he recovers.
 
gopher

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One of the highest paid athletes in history and rightfully so. While F1 is not followed so much in the USA, it is the most popular form of racing world wide. Schumacher was one of its greatest winners. If anyone can pull out of this terrible ordeal, it will be him. I wish him the best.
 
Blackleaf

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gopher said:
While F1 is not followed so much in the USA, it is the most popular form of racing world wide.
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Course it is. That's because it's yet another British-invented sport, and we know that all the most popular sports in the world are the inventions of those clever British.

The first race in the Formula One World Championship was the British Grand Prix, held at the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire in 1950.

Between 1955 and 1962, the British Grand Prix was held variously between Silverstone and the Aintree Circuit near Liverpool, where the Grand National is also held.

Between 1963 and 1986, the British Grand Prix was held variously between Silverstone and Brands Hatch in Kent, and has been held solely by Silverstone since 1987.

The British Grand Prix is the oldest continuously staged Formula One World Championship Grand Prix. It was also designated the European Grand Prix five times between 1950 and 1977 (now the Valencia Street Circuit in Spain has the honour).


Action from this year's British Grand Prix at Silverstone, which was race 8 of 19 of the season



The sport is traditionally dominated by the British, too. There are more British racing teams than those from any other country, and even a lot of the so-called "foreign" teams are based in Britain. There were times in the 1990s that a car from a British racing team won EVERY single race in a season.

F1 cars are the fastest multi-turn circuit-racing cars in the world (unlike in American Nascar, F1 cars also have to turn right every so often). They race at speeds of up to 220mph.

Today, F1 is still mainly a European sport, with half of the global races being held in Europe.
 
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coldstream

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Michael Schumacher is one of the most iconic sports figures of our age.

One of two certified sports billionaires (along with Tiger Woods), he was not a brilliant instrumentalist like Ayrton Senna but a hard bitten tactician, a bludgeon who won by intimidation, brinksmanship.. barging, ramming and chopping his way through traffic with little regard for finesse.

I still remember clearly his attempt to crash Jacques Villeneuve out of 1997 Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez to prevent him from passing and claiming the F1 Championship (he crashed himself and JV took the title).

All that said he was pure entertainment, an 'insensitive' bad boy in a sport increasingly dominated by artistic and easily bruised temperaments.. or packaged 'wholesome' media personnas.

My guess is he'll pull through because he was the best conditioned athlete in Formula 1. He's survived some horrendous accidents in races and testing in the past. My best wishes go with him.

gopher said:
One of the highest paid athletes in history and rightfully so. While F1 is not followed so much in the USA, it is the most popular form of racing world wide. Schumacher was one of its greatest winners. If anyone can pull out of this terrible ordeal, it will be him. I wish him the best.
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In Canada and the U.S. Formula 1 has been followed VERY closely by a selective, passionate and sophisticated audience and has been since the 1950s. The Montreal and Austin GPs are amongst the best attended in the sport. Many of these fans might have never seen a full NASCAR race. :)
 
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damngrumpy

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I think he was one of the best all time even though I don't follow car racing that
closely. He was one of those drivers who could make an ending exciting even
for those who might not always watch. I hope he recovers fully
 
gopher

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coldstream,

In Canada and the U.S. Formula 1 has been followed VERY closely by a selective, passionate and sophisticated audience and has been since the 1950s. The Montreal and Austin GPs are amongst the best attended in the sport. Many of these fans might have never seen a full NASCAR race. :icon_smile:
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Dat tru. And I'm among them having followed GP since the 1960s when names like Jackie Stewart, Jim Clark, Graham Hill, and Mario Andretti ruled the circuits. The skill needed in this type of racing is enormous. Now with the new circuit in Texas I am certain that F1 will gain in popularity in the States.
 
shadowshiv

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It's weird how he emerged (relatively) unscathed from his many years of racing, and then ended up with his most serious injury so far away from the track. It's a good thing that he had his helmet on, as it sounds like that is the only reason he has a chance of surviving this. I recall something similar happening to Liam Neeson's wife a few years back. I hope that the outcome isn't the same as that.

My thoughts go out to him and his family.
 
coldstream

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As the F1 Season has started the news of it's great champion Michael Schumacher is increasingly grim.

Michael Schumacher's wife builds £10million 'hospital' room at their mansion so F1 champ can be at home - Daily Record

His wife Corinna is now building a hospital room in their residence given the prospect that Michael will never fully recover from his injuries.. and the most likely prognosis after this long in a coma is that of a 'persistent vegetative state'.

The mystery of the whole event remains, of how a man in peak physical condition for his age, having survived crashes the put him into barriers at 300kph, enduring g forces at levels that cause fatalities.. was felled by a 'low speed' skiing fall while wearing a helmet. Just the capriciousness of head injuries.

Keep fighting Michael.
 
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MHz

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Good example of why some people should have a 'do not resuscitate' tattoo as I don't think Mike will find a wheelchair as exciting as his 'day job'.

That being said what kind of room would it be?

I'm surprised his contract would allow him to be on anything but the 'bunny hill'
 
gopher

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Good news = Schumacher has recovered to the point where he is out of the hospital. Hopefully, he will make a 100% recovery and re-join the F1 circuit. Be a great thing to see.
 
shadowshiv

shadowshiv

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gopher said:
Good news = Schumacher has recovered to the point where he is out of the hospital. Hopefully, he will make a 100% recovery and re-join the F1 circuit. Be a great thing to see.
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He was already retired before his accident. I don't see him ever getting behind the wheel at the F1 circuit again. I am glad that it sounds like he is making good progress, as it looked quite dire for a while there.
 
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