[Closed] Schumacher 'seriously' injured in skiing accident

Just seen now that he has a 2nd op last night and he has improved a little bit but still critical .

There is a nice OP run in that area that is a gentle gradient (unless you get the line wrong and end up in the wooded cliffs as I did once,) and relatively easy skiing. Brings you out on the road. Needs the right conditions though and faces the wrong way!!! I doubt it was the couloirs - the couloir de la mort is forbidden these days I think?

cut n pasted from planitF1

Doctors at Grenoble University Hospital have confirmed that Michael Schumacher's condition has improved slightly, but added that they "can't say he is out of danger".

At a news conference which was held at 10am GMT on Tuesday, doctors confirmed that a second operation on the seven-time Drivers' Champion took place overnight after a fresh scan showed "an improved situation" which provided them with an opportunity to operate again.

Following the procedure, Schumacher's condition showed a "slight improvement".

They added that the 44-year-old German's condition is "more under control" than it was on Monday, but admitted that it is "still too early to say that he is out of danger".

"It is better than yesterday," Grenoble Hospital Director General Jacqueline Hubert said at the press conference.

"But all the family is very much aware that his state is still sensitive and anything can happen."

Earlier, the surgeon that performed the first operation, Stephan Chabardes, admitted that the next two days will be decisive in determining whether or not the F1 legend recovers from the accident.

Spent four days at the end of August biking in and around the three valleys. Certainly lots of rocky terrain and with only relatively light snow cover, it is easy to envisage how risky it would be ski-ing at speed even at low level (which I believe he was). Thank god he was wearing a helmet, otherwise he would have been toast. Lots of respect for him as a man and a driver. Favourite story was when he was apparently late for a flight and asked the taxi driver if he could drive..
Here's hoping he makes a full recovery and also a thought for all the other poor sods who get injured/killed on the slopes but don't happen to be superstars..

There's been a post on Twitter saying he was going to help someone who'd fallen but went over a rock and then crashed into another. Speed definitely not a factor... but I have no idea of the quality of that source vs the French media.

Not that he'll ever read it, or it'd make any odds but wishing him (as with any injured folk) a good recovery.

He was good but also lucky. Had Ayrton lived he would have taken the next two championships (at least) and if Mika hadn't had his massive crash his career, while brilliant, would probably have led to more championships.

That's outrageously speculative.

That 94 Williams was a good car but it was barely developed. When Senna spun closing down Schumacher in Brazil 94 they had both lapped Hill in third. By the end of the year Hill was fighting for the championship... Senna would have walked it. No disrespect to Hill. Paid peanuts by Williams (relatively) and probably the most genuine guy to race an F1 car in the modern era.

Sure, the Hakkinen comment was more speculative but let's not forget him out qualifying Senna in his first race for McLaren. I heard Dennis say on a number of occasions that the most impressive thing he saw in F1 was Hakkinen returning from that shunt. Who knows how much that effected him? He was bloody rapid.

Add to that he had a team mate who wasn't allowed to race him and had to pull up to let him pass on occasion...

Prost, I think, was the only team mate on a par with Senna, and Senna was not above vetoing his team mate if he had the power to do so. When he went to Lotus, he wouldn't let them sign Derek Warwick, I think it was.

Yep you're right about Warwick but that was pre season. Do you think Senna would have a team mate pull up to let him through in a race? Or even not let his teammate race him? I highly doubt it. The only dodgy thing that I believe happened with Senna was Honda was giving him more HP than Prost in qualifying.

Also saying Ayrton performed similar ramming incidents is a joke. Sure Ayrton was a spoilt brat but he was usually fair and as we all know the situation at Suzuka was hardly that

I don't know of another driver who would nerf an opponent off at 140+. Don't get me wrong, I'm a bigger fan of Senna than I am of Schumi, but I think it's unfair to suggest that Schumacher is the only driver who went over the edge of what's acceptable.

Yeah but it was all about Balestre wasn't it? Senna couldn't take it anymore and I see his point to be honest. Still I've never seen any other driver, ever, park a car on the track to end others qualifying efforts. Check his mirrors when someone is overtaking and then turn pre apex to cause a collision.

Again, he was good, but he had questionable sporting ethics. A little like that current German who isn't very well liked either...

The fractured skull? I think he lost 'something'. Fear? Still a bloody good nay great driver. Never liked him until a TV helicopter zoomed in on him sobbing in the trees after a DNF. Just showed how much things got to him etc.

From pics in the papers it looks like he was skiing the big couloir off Saulire. A good run that and not desperate. Rocks and holes are the big hazard on in-bound off-piste. Like biking and climbing, its never an entirely safe sport. A pal cracked his helmet in a high speed crash on an empty blue piste but was just stunned. Bad luck shue hope you pull through.

Better news today, French tv reporting he should not suffer any loss of mobility and they do not believe he has any brain injury. Fingers crossed.

As an aside I hope they send the journalist who dressed up as a priest in order to sneak into his room, to prison or as a minimum thats he's named and shamed and never works again.