JANUARY 13, 2014

Schumacher's condition unchanged

Michael Schumacher's condition remains unchanged, the German newspaper Bild reports.

Almost a week ago, the seven time world champion's wife Corinna urged the media to go easy on the struggling family, as Schumacher - whose coma has now entered a third week - lies in a critical condition after a skiing fall late last year.

Since Corinna's plea, neither the 45-year-old former F1 driver's management, nor the Grenoble hospital, have issued any official updates about his condition.

But Bild cited hospital sources as it reported that the great German remains in a stable yet critical condition, with his health having "not changed since the last statement of the doctors".

The widely-circulated newspaper said Schumacher is, however, undergoing new brain scans, as the risk of renewed bleeding and infections remains high.

"The doctors want to see which areas of the brain are damaged and which are functional," Bild explained.

"It is not clear when new official information about his health is expected, but it could take weeks, or even months," correspondents Nicola Pohl and Thomas Sulzer added.

Meanwhile, Jean Alesi criticised another former F1 driver, Philippe Streiff, for divulging information about Schumacher's condition to the media recently.

Streiff visited the hospital in Grenoble and controversially revealed afterwards that Schumacher's "life is not in danger any more".

"I was very disappointed and upset to see the French driver who did a press conference talking about Michael Schumacher," fellow Frenchman Alesi told RMC Sport.

"We must respect his family and leave them alone, and especially the doctors (should be left) to do their work," he added.

(GMM)