On Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher has emerged from his coma, which he had been in since a skiing accident on December 29 last year.

It is a day many believed would not come, given the time which has elapsed, re-instilling faith that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

In a statement issued by the German’s manager, Sabine Kehm, it was revealed that Schumacher had been transferred to the University Hospital of Lausanne, where the seven-time World Champion will “continue his long phase of rehabilitation”.

The statement added, “further rehabilitation will take place away from the public eye”, meaning it is likely to be some time before another update.

Already, the news has polarised fans, with many claiming the lack of concrete information on Schumacher’s actual state is indicative of a negative outcome. Kehm’s updates throughout the process have drawn criticism, their brevity and vagueness were not received well in most quarters.

In his blog, the outspoken Gary Hartstein – ex-F1 safety and medical delegate – painted a pessimistic outlook, calling Kehm’s statement, “a highly cynical use of language, using the truth to convey an impression that is almost certainly false.”

Taking aim at Kehm specifically, Hartstein remarked “we’re told what we already know, and pretty much told to not ever expect further updates.”

I was one of many who interpreted Kehm’s announcement as a small yet positive step in the right direction, following months of no information.

What has always been clear, if and when Schumacher’s condition improved, is that it would only represent the commencement of a long process ahead. It is understandable that people are impatient for a definitive prognosis, but the reality is that it won’t be known for a long time.

This has been construed as meaning there is little or no hope of any meaningful recovery, when nobody really knows where this could end up.

It is this notion which should fill people with optimism. It might not be any time this year, or next, that this process has a resolution.

What is important is that Michael Schumacher is still with us now, six months later, and he must be given every opportunity to defy the conventional wisdom that no good can come of this situation. He’s earned that privilege.

He won 91 Grands Prix. This progress surely constitutes victory number 92, and while another one might seem fanciful at this stage, the latest news brings hope that, one day, it might just happen.

Keep fighting Michael!