Health fears for Schumacher as ex-boss says news ‘not good’

CONCERNS were growing last night over the health of stricken motor racing great Michael Schumacher.

The 47-year-old German is still receiving treatment at his home in Switzerland for severe head injuries suffered in a skiing accident more than two years ago.

But Luca di Montezemolo, his former boss at Ferrari, left fans bracing themselves for the worst when he said the ‘news isn’t good’ about Schumacher, pictured.

‘I’m always checking up on him, and unfortunately the news isn’t good,’ Di Montezemolo told Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. ‘He was a great driver and we shared a great personal and professional relationship, we also had the pleasure of having our children at similar times. Unfortunately a fall while skiing, an accident, has broken him.’

He added: ‘Life is strange. He was a fantastic driver and only had one accident with Ferrari in 1999.’

Schumacher, who was Formula One world champion seven times, sustained horrific brain injuries when he hit his head on rocks in a freak accident in December 2013 while skiing in the French Alps with his wife Corinna and children Mick and Gina Maria.

After being airlifted off the mountain at Meribel, he underwent emergency operations to save his life, was placed in an artificial coma and spent months in hospital.

Since September 2014, he has been cared for in a purpose-built medical suite at his Lake Geneva mansion where a team of 15 people look after him round the clock.

Schumacher’s spokesman declined to comment to the BBC yesterday on di Montezemolo’s claims. Friends have said that Schumacher cannot speak and has memory problems, while doctors warned it would take years for him to make any substantial recovery. In December it was said that his condition was little-changed in the past year, although his management speaks of ‘encouraging small steps’ in his recovery.