Michael Schumacher latest: F1 legend is moved to Lausanne hospital after waking from coma

The racing-driver has left the hospital he was previously being treated in

Michael Schumacher gives the thumbs up after qualifying first in Monaco (GETTY IMAGES)

Michael Schumacher has been moved from Grenoble University Hospital in France to the University Hospital of Lausanne, in western Switzerland, his spokesperson confirmed.

The former F1 champion had been staying in the French hospital since December when a life-threatening skiing accident left him in a coma for six-and-a-half months. It was announced today that he had come out of his coma and is now to continue a “long phase of rehabilitation”.

“He is here, he arrived this morning,” Darcy Christen, spokesman for the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), told Reuters.

It is not known what unit Schumacher is being treated in, as Christen wishes to maintain medical secrecy and family privacy.

“Michael has left the CHU Grenoble to continue his long phase of rehabilitation. He is not in a coma anymore,” Schumacher’s manager Sabine Kehm confirmed.

“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.

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

“For the future we ask for understanding that his further rehabilitation will take place away from the public eye.”

His family are not expected to hold a press conference in the near future.

The 45-year-old underwent two operations at the Grenoble University Hospital to remove haematomas and ease swelling on his brain, but fears that he would not recover began to intensify when attempts to bring him out of the medically-induced coma began in January, with little success.

He was on holiday with his family in the French resort of Meribel when the accident took place on 29 December.