In a terrifying incident in Germany, the nephew of Formula One star Michael Schumacher shattered his spine. David Schumacher was injured in a collision with Thomas Preining during the DTM race at Hockenheimring on Saturday.
Both cars were racing for position after a safety car restart when they collided, braking into turn eight, sending them into the barriers before rebounding back onto the track.
The subsequent mayhem led Dennis Olsen’s SSR Porsche to lose control, and engine components flying away from his vehicle temporarily erupted into a blaze on the course.
Winward, Schumacher’s Mercedes and several other vehicles were severely damaged, and the race was called off.
All of the drivers involved were sent for medical examinations, and Schumacher, the son of former Formula One racer Ralf, was originally given the all-clear.
However, further tests later in the week revealed that a lumbar vertebra in his back had been shattered.
‘We then decided to go to a hospital in Salzburg to have a MRI done. It turned out that a lumbar vertebra was broken.
‘We then decided to go to a hospital in Salzburg to have a MRI done. It turned out that a lumbar vertebra was broken.
‘According to the treating physicians, this means a break of around six weeks for David.’
The DTM season concluded over the weekend, therefore Schumacher will not miss any races during his six-week recuperation and will not require surgery.
Preining blamed Schumacher for the accident, but Schumacher’s mother Cora responded on social media.
She wrote: ‘David Schumacher is doing well, that’s the most important thing.
‘Nevertheless, I have to say that I absolutely don’t think it’s okay for Thomas Preining to make negative comments about our son every time without any self-reflection.
He had oversteered and was losing control of his vehicle. It’s usually simpler to see flaws in others.’
His uncle Michael, a seven-time Formula One world champion, has been out of the public eye since December 2013, when he suffered catastrophic brain damage in a skiing accident in the French Alps.
In 2014, he was placed in a medically induced coma and flown to his family’s home in Switzerland.
Former Ferrari boss Jean Todt stated in 2019 that Schumacher was “making good progress” but “struggling to communicate.” Todt stated that the former racer could watch Formula One on television at home.
However, updates on his health are few and far between.
Mick Schumacher, David’s cousin’s future,’s is uncertain because Haas has yet to renew his contract, which expires at the end of the current F1 season.
Last weekend, he crashed out during the first practice session of the Japanese Grand Prix and finished 17th in the race.