Former F1 chief doctor, Dr Gary Hartstein, has warned that fans must prepare themselves for the worst as attempts to awaken Michael Schumacher continue.
Schumacher suffered serious brain injuries after hitting his head on a rock when skiing off-piste in the exclusive French resort of Meribel at the end of December, with attempts to bring him out of his medically-induced coma now in an eighth week.
The 45-year-old’s manager Sabine Kehm confirmed 13 days ago that attempts to awaken the seven-time world champion are continuing and will do for “as long as it takes”, warning that it can be a very long and drawn out process.
However, Dr Hartstein – who was a key figure in the paddock until the end of the 2012 season – has admitted that the longer it takes, the less likely it is that Schumacher will ever recover. Writing on his personal blog, the American said: “As time goes on it becomes less and less likely that Michael will emerge to any significant extent.”
Reports claimed that Schumacher had lost up to 25 per cent of his body weight due to muscle atrophy, a condition common when patients are in a deep coma as their muscles are not being used. Dr Hartstein said it is “entirely possible and, in fact, probable” that Schumacher had lost a significant amount of weight.
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