FEBRUARY 4, 2014

Wake-up delay for Schumacher not a bad sign

At least a week after doctors began trying to wake Michael Schumacher from his coma, there have been no official updates about the great German's condition.

But that, according to a German publication that has been following the story in detail, is not necessarily a bad sign.

"It is neither a good nor a bad sign that there has been no communication on the progress of the recovery process," said the newsmagazine Focus.

"The waking-up can take days, weeks and even months, depending on how quickly the body breaks down the anaesthetic."

Some well-known F1 figures, however, interpreted the news about the beginning of the waking-up process as a positive sign.

"No one from a distance can assess the situation," Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda told the Swiss newspaper Blick, "but I am happy that at last there is a positive message."

Red Bull team owner Dietrich Mateschitz agreed: "I can only hope that this is good news."

(GMM)