Categories: F1 News, Reports and Race ResultsPeople

Report Schumacher can walk 'is not true' - manager

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Michael Schumacher's manager has been forced to issue a statement rejecting a report that the seven-time world champion can walk.

A front page story in German magazine Bunte claimed Schumacher has recovered to the extent he can be aided in walking, quoting an unnamed source who allegedly said: "Michael is very thin. But he can once again walk a little with the help of his therapists ... He manages to make a couple of steps. And he can also raise an arm."

However, Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm strongly denied the reports in a statement issued to the media, slamming the article as "irresponsible" on Tuesday.

"Unfortunately, we are forced by a recent press report to clarify that the assertion that Michael could move again is not true,” Kehm said.

“Such speculation is irresponsible, because given the seriousness of his injuries, his privacy is very important for Michael. Unfortunately they also give false hopes to many involved people."

Schumacher suffered severe head injuries in a skiing accident in December 2013, with the seven-time world champion spending six months in a coma before finally returning home in July 2014 to continue his recovery.

While updates on Schumacher's condition have been few and far between, FIA president Jean Todt said in November that the German "is still fighting".

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.