Formula One legend Michael Schumacher moved to Swiss hospital

Michael Schumacher was transferred to a Swiss hospital Monday nearly six months after the legendary Formula One driver suffered severe head injuries in a skiing accident in France.

Schumacher, 45, had been at Grenoble University Hospital in France since he was injured Dec. 29 and soon placed in a medically induced coma.

But Schumacher “is not in a coma anymore,” media reports quoted his manager, Sabine Kehm, as saying in a brief statement Monday.

Kehm provided no further details of Schumacher’s condition or medical outlook but said the record seven-time Formula One champion would “continue his long phase of rehabilitation.”

Schumacher was skiing in the French Alpine resort of Meribel when he fell and struck his head on a rock. He was gravely injured despite wearing a helmet and required two surgeries to relieve pressure on his brain.

The German driver has been transferred to the Lausanne University Hospital in western Switzerland near the Schumacher family’s Swiss home, Associated Press reported.

“His family would like to explicitly thank all his treating doctors, nurses and therapists in Grenoble as well as the first aiders at the place of the accident, who did an excellent job in those first months,” Kehm’s statement said.

“The family also wishes to thank all the people who have sent Michael all the many good wishes,” it said. “We are sure it helped him.”

Schumacher, who also has a record 91 Formula One victories, retired a second time after the 2012 season.

Some current drivers went on Twitter to express their latest support for Schumacher.

“Good start of the week with the news of Michael!” tweeted two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso of the Ferrari team. “So happy this is going in the good direction!”

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