Formula 1: A friend of Michael Schumacher claims the former world champion

The German has been in an induced coma in Grenoble University Hospital since suffering critical head injuries in a skiing accident in the French Alps on Sunday.

No official statement has been made on the 45-year-old’s condition but family friend Philippe Strieff offered a glimmer of hope following a conversation with a surgeon.

Speaking to reporters outside the hospital he said: “I’m not a doctor, I’m repeating what Gerard Saillant (surgeon and friend of the Schumacher family) told me.

“Gerard Saillant said it is a serious condition but his life is not in danger anymore now, thankfully.

“He was such a healthy man. He’s 45, he’s young and has always been very fit. He is in top shape physically so there are no reasons why he would not make it.”

Meanwhile, a camera reportedly attached to Schumacher’s helmet is being examined in the hope it will reveal more about the circumstances of his accident.

Authorities are checking the device, which has become popular in recent years for filming extreme sports, while also questioning Schumacher’s son, who was with him when he crashed, according to French news agency AFP.