The Michael Schumacher Career/Injury/Recovery Thread

Tony Belli, a consultant neurosurgeon and reader in neurotrauma at Birmingham University, said that Schumacher's age, fitness and psychological strength would help his recovery. "He's got a lot of factors in his favour. He's more likely than not to make a good recovery, despite all the concerns that have been raised. From the description of his injuries, it will take weeks, even months to recover, but I do expect him to make a good recovery."

 

From David Coulthard :


I only hope Michael Schumacher pulls through so that he can see all the nice things people are saying about him
With hindsight I know now that I was never on the seven-time world champion's level but he gave my career as a Formula One driver credibility

The outpouring of concern for Michael Schumacher’s wellbeing over the past 36 hours, not only from the world of Formula One but from the wider sporting, and indeed non-sporting, community has been wonderful to see. In my opinion it constitutes long-overdue recognition of Michael’s status as a true sporting great. I only hope and pray that he pulls through to see what nice things people have been saying about him.
The truth is I do not believe that Michael has ever truly received the praise or recognition that his stunning achievements merited. And I say that now with the benefit of hindsight.

For years Michael was the perfect pantomime villain, particularly in this country; German, of course, ruthlessly efficient, ultra-aggressive. Whereas previous greats such as Sir Jackie Stewart or Juan Manuel Fangio left the door open to their rivals when racing, for fear of making what could easily have been fatal contact, Michael went all out in his pursuit of victory.

Sometimes he overstepped the mark – Jerez in 1997 and Rascasse in 2006 spring to mind – and those indiscretions made him unpalatable to the sporting purist. He was marked down by some, including me, as a tainted champion. But you cannot argue with his achievements.
At the end of the day he had the same rules and the same race marshals as the rest of us. And he destroyed us.

He could be infuriating. I had numerous run-ins with Michael, most famously at Spa in 1998 after we collided on a wet track and he stormed over to the McLaren garage and accused me of trying to kill him. I asked him later, in exasperation, whether he had ever been wrong about anything at any point in his life. “Not that I can remember,” he replied. To me that summed him up.

He had complete and utter self-belief. It was what made him a champion.
And what a champion: 91 grand prix victories and seven drivers’ world titles. I can say now, and again it is with the benefit of hindsight, that I was never on his level. You cannot admit that, even to yourself, during your career because you need to have self-belief but I have no trouble admitting it now.

Michael was the reference point for me. I can see that now. If I beat him to a win or a podium, I knew I had done a very good job. He gave my career credibility.
As I said, we did not always see eye to eye but there were two sides to Michael.
He was a ruthless competitor but at the same time he was a family man; generous, kind. If you were part of his trusted circle then he was loyal. If you were not, he could cut you off completely.

I never knew exactly which camp I belonged to but our shared relationship with Mercedes-Benz meant that we were thrown together regularly.
I can vividly recall being invited to Michael’s private parties after the German Grand Prix and staying up smoking cigars with him, late at night after a few drinks, talking about just how lucky we were to be doing what we loved.

There was always that underlying respect. When Michael retired at the end of 2006 he approached me and suggested we swap helmets. It had never even occurred to me to ask him. Why would he have wanted my helmet? But he knew that I collected them and I was honoured that he offered me his. It remains one of my prized possessions and I know he keeps mine at his home in Switzerland.

I think Michael might have got more credit before now had he not burnt his bridges so completely with the British media, to whom he was completely closed, at least during his first career. I think Sebastian Vettel may have learnt from that experience.
In any case, Michael’s comeback with Mercedes showed he had a more human side. And in a funny way, it cemented his legacy rather than harmed it.
Watching him struggle to match Sebastian and Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, not always through fault of his own, proved that time waits for no man. It was too easy during his first career to assume that he simply swept all before him.

Those struggles with Mercedes gave us, certainly me, a new-found appreciation for the unbelievable levels of consistency he achieved in his first career.
This skiing crash has connected Michael to the rest of us on a human level once and for all. Here is a father, like any other, his wife and children at his bedside praying for him to pull through. It is something to which we can all relate.

The awful thing is that so often it takes something like this before we say what we truly feel about someone.
I hope that in this instance, with Michael having received such swift medical attention, and given the fact that he continues to receive the very best treatment possible, he is going to emerge victorious once again. And when he does he is going to realise in what esteem he is held.

 

thanks for posting that rem...that was a damn special reflection/tribute to his rival. really heart felt.

pcb

 

Courtyard is all class.

It scares me that he would feel the need to write something that deep.

 

It takes a lot for someone to write something like that.... Respect to DC for those words. Hope schumi is able to read them himself soon

 

Gentlemen,

Having a few minutes time, I just have tried to sum-up in a few words what we know now here in France about the circumstances of the accident; probably not strictly facts, but information from a good source.

Michael has a good knowledge of the skiing resort, tracks, etc…at Meribel, where he owns a chalet and has been skiing regularly for some years.
He was not skiing “off-track” in extreme risk as some would have you believe; but it was “off-track” skiing in the legal sense of the expression, just in a spot between two tracks.
Unfortunately, it has snowed a lot the night before (about 8 inches) so the rock was hidden under fresh snow.

When the accident occurred, his son Mick was in front of him, so didn’t see it happen; he came back as soon as he realised his father was not following him. The hit was really hard and violent, as Michael’s helmet has been shattered to pieces (this seems to be confirmed now).
Michael was spotted almost at the minute by another skier passing by, who gave the alarm, and the track’s relief squad was on the spot very early, so help was there in a very short time.

There is absolutely nothing new as for his medical condition since the “point de presse” yesterday at 11:00 local time; everything that has been said since is interpretation of the statements from this press conference.
The doctors made no secret yesterday that they have “grave concerns” about his state of health, that “le pronostic vital est engagé” which means that they are not able to say if he will survive or not, and that the following 24 or 48h will be crucial. Respecting the family wishes that information should be kept to the minimum, and customary policies in such matters, they probably won’t be giving any prospective for some time.
The medical team at the hospital where he is has a very strong reputation in these accidents, being very near the main skiing resorts.

Another “point de presse” is scheduled for this morning “at about 11:00” (= two hours from now on).

Rgds

 

Let's hope we will be getting better news this time around. Fingers crossed ... our thoughts and prayers are with Michael and his family.

 

For those so inclined, now is the time to, in your own way, be it positive thoughts, wishes and or prayer, hope the best for MS and his family - at this point, i don't have the wisdom or knowledge to truly know what is best for MS and his family. I so dearly want him to be ok, as we all do. I don't want to hear the words we all dread. Maybe i'm naive, but i still do believe that positive thoughts, wishes and or prayer can make a difference. None of us will or should forget what he accomplished, and meant to us while driving for our beloved SF. Now is the time to do what each of can, in our own way, to demonstrate that we are with him, and his family in this dark, shocking and uncertain time - it matters, and is something we can all do.... In our own way.

Forza per sempre Michael!!!

Grazie mille di tutto Michael!!!

Russ

PS - life is precious and fragile...

 

He donated more than most countries and multinational companies. To put it in perspective!

His bodyguard and 2 sons unfortunately drowned in Thailand during the Tsunami...

 

More from Gary Hartstein, to much to link:

https://twitter.com/former_f1doc

 

Those Coulthard's words are probably the deepest and most intelligent analysis of Schumacher I ever read.

 

Yes. Really like the swapping helmets story and inviting DC at private parties at the german GPs.

 

+1.

 

Watching CNBC,... they actually covered a few second of this AM's Presser.

Apparently there was a 2nd operation last night. Condition slightly improved.

 

I assume this is current, https://twitter.com/f1fanatic_co_uk/status/417959119782703104.
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Press conference.

Schumacher's condition has bettered slightly. Further operation last night to decrease brain pressure.

His brain has several damages and he is still in a very critical condition.

It's still a phase in which things could change within seconds to good or bad.

Source: RTL/live press conference

 

That's what we just have had here in France as well, same words:
-second operation that lasted about two hours during last night,
-condition "slightly improved".
I'll report back as soon as we have more.

Rgds

 

Schumachers situation is stabilizing, official statement!!!!

 

Sorry Bas, that's not what I read from the french langage: some quick translations by myself from the main statements in the french text hereunder follow:

EN DIRECT. Michael Schumacher: Opéré de nouveau lundi soir, il présente de «légers signes d'amélioration» - 20minutes.fr

"A few signs allow us to think that the situation could be under better control that it was yesterday".
"We have decided to operate to evacuate an intracranial hematom to the brain, and parameters have allowed this to be successful, but there are other lesions to be checked further"
"His state of health is slightly better than yesterday, but it is still impossible to state that He is out of danger; evolution may still be towards better, or towards worst".
"He is maintained in artificial coma and therapeutic hypothermia, we have not lowered the therapeutic intensity, talking about his wake-up is still out of question".

Rgds

 

EN DIRECT. Michael Schumacher: Opéré de nouveau lundi soir, il présente de «légers signes d'amélioration» - 20minutes.fr

 

Every hour he is stable is a milestone.

 

This is great news. Another report stated "scan shows slight improvement." This almost certainly means the most recent CT scan show swelling has slightly improved.

Keep fighting Michael.

Now for a dose of reality (somewhat over-simplified): Keep in mind that in brain injuries "condition improving" means that the patient is stabilizing. This does not mean neurologic damage is improving. In neuro trauma the initial injury is only part of the problem. As the brain swells,... this does more damage. As the damaged tissue dies,... this releases bio-chemicals which can further damage adjacent tissues. A scan showing slight improvement, likely by decreased swelling,... implies that (hopefully) this ongoing damage has slowed.

With that said. This is good news.

 

Gary Hartstein disagrees...:

 

Most docs seem pleased with the the latest update. Always a good sign.

Optimists: 1
Chicken Littles: 0


Still a long way to go though. Importatant to keep the prayers and positive thoughts going.

Fight on Schumi!