F1 gets behind Schumacher, who has long road ahead
The Formula One world is buoyant after news that seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher is out of a coma and had been transferred to a hospital near his Swiss home.
The German had been in a coma in Grenobles Hospital near the French Alps since December 29, when he fell and struck his head while skiing with his son and friends.
Although Schumacher faces a long road to recovery, the news was well received by members of the F1 fraternity, some of whom took to Twitter to offer their best wishes.
Good start of the week with the news of Michael! So happy this is going in the good direction! #KeepFightingMichael
— Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) June 16, 2014
Great to hear some positive news about Michael’s condition. #KeepFightingMichael
— Jenson Button (@JensonButton) June 16, 2014
Great to hear about Michael – that its moving in the right direction! Really good & happy to hear that!!! #KeepFightingMichael
— Nico Hülkenberg (@NicoHulkenberg) June 16, 2014
Giants from other sporting fields also took to the web to show their support for Schumacher. World heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko was one.
It is such good news that Michael Schumacher is making mayor progress in his recovery. Michael keep on fighting. — Klitschko (@Klitschko) June 16, 2014
Germany striker Lukas Podolski, a close personal friend of Schumacher’s, dedicated his country’s 4-0 World Cup win over Portugal to the former F1 ace.
“It is important to all of us to hear that news that he’s come out of hospital,” Podolski said.
“He’s doing well and he’s getting better and it’s really good news.
“Of course it helped us. When you hear the news about a good friend it always helps and you get a little bit of a boost and I was very happy when I heard about the news.”
Schumacher has been transferred to University Hospital of the Canton of Vaud, in Lausanne, about 20 miles from the family home.
Meanwhile, a neurosurgeon cautioned the 45-year-old faced years of rehabilitation, which his family said would take place “away from the public eye”.
“We know that some people can spend three, four years in rehabilitation,” neurosurgeon Tony Belli told the BBC.
“It depends very much on the severity of the injury, how young and fit they are.”