Schumacher family opens legal action over 'walk' report

Michael Schumacher's family has opened legal action against German magazine Bunte over a report that claimed the seven-time world champion could walk.

The magazine ran a front page story last December that said Schumacher had recovered to the extent he could be aided in walking with therapists and raise an arm.

However, Schumacher's long-standing manager Sabine Kehm swiftly moved to deny the article and slammed it as “irresponsible” in that it gave “false hopes to many involved people.”

Schumacher suffered severe head injuries in a skiing accident in December 2013. He spent six months in a coma before finally returning home in July 2014 to continue his recovery with updates on his conditions few and far between since then.

The Daily Mirror reports that his family has taken Bunte to court in Hamburg, with their lawyer Felix Damm stating that the 47-year-old “cannot walk”. The magazine’s legal team insisted they received information from a previously reliable source, referred to as an unnamed "friend of Schumacher" in the original story.

The judge presiding over the case has indicated that Schumacher’s family is likely to be compensated between 40,000-100,000 Euros (£34,000-£86,000) for the breach of privacy, with a final verdict expected in October.

REPORT: Rosberg takes title lead after Singapore thriller 

Breakfast with ... Bernd Maylander