MOTORSPORT: Helmet saved Schumacher's life

Doctors won’t comment on chances of full recovery

Michael Schumacher “wouldn’t be here now” if not for the helmet the statistically most successful driver in Formula One history was wearing when he suffered severe head injuries while skiing in France.

Professor Jean-Francois Payen, an anaesthetist at the university hospital in Grenoble, where Schumacher remains in an induced coma after emergency surgery, said he had endured a “very violent shock” which “must have taken place at high speed”.

Schumacher’s condition is still considered life-threatening after having suffered bleeding and bruising in his brain.

Neurosurgeon Stephan Chabardes said a post-operative scan showed “diffuse haemorrhagic lesions” on both sides of Schumacher’s brain.

One report has suggested that his helmet was shattered as the right side of his head hit a rock that may have been partly or even fully hidden by snow.

Schumacher’s relative youth – he will turn 45 on Friday – and renowned fitness along with the prompt surgery within a couple of hours of the crash are expected to work in favour of him surviving.

“Taking into consideration the very violent shock (when Schumacher’s head hit the rock) his helmet did protect him, of course,” Prof  Payen said.

“Somebody having this kind of accident without the helmet would not have got to here.

“This accident was particularly serious and was dealt with immediately at our hospital.

“He was immediately operated on after a brain scan and his condition is critical … extremely serious.

“He is in intensive care. As far as cerebral care [is concerned], all the recommended treatments have been introduced.”

Schumacher’s medical team is not contemplating any further surgery yet but has not been prepared to speculate on whether the winner of a record 91 grands prix and seven world titles will fully recover.

“We are not able to talk about after-effects,” Prof Payen said.

“We are talking about treatments and working hour-by-hour.

"We are going to try to gain time … try to give ourselves some time.

“The treatments that are going to be introduced, we know what we are hoping, but I am not able to give you any more information and cannot tell you what direction we are going in or what prognosis we are going to have."

Among the outpouring of goodwill towards the champion never universally popular during more than 300 GPs in two F1 careers have been messages from the driver who may break his records, fellow German four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, and Australians Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo.

Recently-retired Webber tweeted: “My thoughts are with Michael and his family at this tricky time.”

The younger Daniel Ricciardo, on holiday in Western Australia before becoming Vettel’s Red Bull Racing teammate in the New Year, tweeted: “Pulling for Schumi.”

The head of the men’s Alpine skiing World Cup for more than 20 years, Austrian Guenter Hujara, agreed with Prof Payen that “without a helmet Michael Schumacher would be dead”.

Hujara said Schumacher’s injury was the same sort as those suffered in recent years by two of the world’s top skiers, Switzerland’s Daniel Albrecht and Austria’s Johan Grugger.

“They were seriously injured but they came out of it and went on to live a normal life,” Hujara said.

“Schumacher didn't go as fast as they did so he has a good chance.

“Athletes have the strength to overcome such bad times.”

Hugara said serious injury could be avoided in 50 per cent of such cases by wearing a helmet.

Andrea Capeletti, a spokesman for Bolle, one of the leading ski helmet makers, said almost half the skiers in North America and Switzerland wore helmets while those in France and Italy rarely did.

Schumacher, his wife and two children live in Switzerland but he was skiing at the Meribel resort, where the family has a holiday home, when he crashed off piste – away from a main runway.

Son Mick, 14, was on the slopes with him and also wearing a helmet.

Initially still conscious, Schumacher was taken by helicopter to a hospital at Moutiers, but as his condition rapidly deteriorated he was transferred to the larger Grenoble.

Prof Payen said that Schumacher had been “agitated” at Moutiers and “not responding to questions”.

“He did not have a normal neurological reaction,” he said.

“We had to operate urgently to release some pressure in his head.”

Prof Gerard Saillant, a brain and spinal injury expert who also is president of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Institute, quickly joined Schumacher’s medical team at Grenoble.

A British neurosurgeon, Catherine McMahon, told the BBC that a monitor would have been placed in Schumacher’s brain to measure pressure from the swelling.

“The induced coma is to try to stabilise the pressure within the brain, to try to prevent secondary brain damage from occurring,” she said.

“It’s likely he will remain in an induced coma for several days and the outcome is very, very unclear at this stage.”

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