“We would like to thank you all for the continuous sympathies. At the
same time we again ask for understanding that we do not intend to disclose
details.
“This is necessary to protect the privacy of Michael and his family, and
to enable the medical team to work in full calmness.”
Schumacher, who is the most decorated Formula One driver of all time, with
five titles at Ferrari and two at Benetton, suffered a serious head injury
after striking a rock during a skiing accident in the French resort of
Meribel.
He remains in the “wake-up phase”, and is being treated at a
hospital in Grenoble where his family, including his wife Corinna, have been
maintaining a bedside vigil.
Since Schumacher was taken to hospital in a critical condition last year,
there have been few details made public of his condition, which has prompted
enormous speculation.
But Gary Hartstein, a former Formula One doctor, said “awakening” would mean
that Schumacher has opened his eyes.
“This eye opening can even be cyclic, following what looks just like a
sleep-wake cycle (even if not synchronised to real day-night hours),” he
said.
And he continued by saying that the “moments of consciousness” meant that
Schumacher would have had interaction with his environment.
“It consists of episodes of clear, purposeful interaction with the
environment, and/or clear signs of awareness of self, even if these signs
are not constantly present,” he added.
“For example, if Michael smiles when a member of his entourage talks to him –
reproducibly and consistently on at least a few occasions. Or following
people with his eyes. Or trying to communicate, or obeying simple commands.
Any of this constitutes objective signs of contact between the ‘outside’ and
the ‘inside’. This then would be a minimally conscious state. And that is
about the best news we could possibly get right now.”
Earlier this week, Ms Kehm dismissed rumours of a multi-million pound clinic,
designed for Schumacher and to be built in his Swiss home, as “absolutely
groundless”.
Teams and drivers across the paddock have carried messages of tribute for
Schumacher, and this weekend at the Bahrain Grand Prix the message, “our
thoughts and prayers are with you Michael”, will be shown across the
side of the track.