Michael Schumacher accident: French journalist recants GoPro camera comments

F1 journalist initially claimed sports camera may have worsened head injuries

Michael Schumacher speeds down a course in the Madonna di Campiglio ski resort, in the Italian Alps in January 2006

The French journalist who linked Michael Schumacher's head injuries to the GoPro camera he was wearing when the accident took place has backtracked on his comments, insisting it was "his opinion".

Jean Louis Moncet, a well-known Formula 1 journalist in France, initially claimed the camera was "part of the problem" and seemed to suggest he had spoken to Schumacher's son, Mick, who presumably passed on the details.

Shares in GoPro, the American wearable camera maker, plunged on Monday as investors reacted to the comments, which raised safety concerns about the device that is usually attached to the helmet.

Shares fell as much as 16 per cent in New York trading but later rebounded. However, the stock is trading at $72.87 - well below September's record high of $96.45.

In a series of tweets, Moncet said his comments, where he speculated the device may have worsened Schumacher's head injuries, weren't facts, just opinion. He also denied he had spoken with Mick Schumacher about the role the camera may have played in the accident or his father's injuries.

Earlier this week, reports suggested GoPro was exploring legal options fearing reputational damage.

Seven-time F1 champion Schumacher suffered severe head injuries in a skiing accident in the French Alps last December. He emerged from a medically induced coma in June and returned home after being discharged from hospital in September.