Former F1 Driver Schumacher in Critical Condition

Local Editor

Michael Schumacher, Formula One's greatest driver, remained hospitalized overnight after brain surgery for a severe head injury following a ski accident in the French Alps.

The Grenoble University Hospital Center said the retired racing driver arrived at the clinic in a coma on Sunday and underwent immediate surgery for a serious head trauma after hitting his on a rock. Late Sunday, the hospital said he was in critical condition, although it was not clear if he was still in a coma.

Doctors were giving an update on his condition Monday morning.

There has been an outpouring of shock and support from Schumacher's fellow drivers and athletes. His wife and some of his children are at the hospital.
Schumacher fell while skiing off-piste in Meribel in the French Alps on Sunday morning, according to a statement from the resort. The area where he was skiing - between the Biche and Mauduit trails - is part of a web of trails that slice down through a vast, treeless and, in parts, very steep snowfield. Although challenging, the snowfield is not extreme skiing: The runs are broad and neatly tended, and the off-piste in between is free of trees.

But the situation began to appear more serious when the resort said that orthopedic and trauma surgeon Gerard Saillant had traveled from Paris to the hospital in Grenoble to examine Schumacher.

Schumacher is the most successful driver in Formula One history, with seven drivers' championships and 91 race wins. After initial success with the Benetton team, he moved to Ferrari and helped turn the Italian team into the sport's dominant force. After initially retiring in 2006, he made a comeback in 2010 and raced for three years with Mercedes.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team