Former F1 Champ Suffers 'Severe Brain Trauma' in Ski Crash

Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher was hospitalized with a head injury today after a skiing accident in the French Alps, French authorities and his manager said. The French Mountain Gendarmerie said Schumacher was wearing a helmet when he had a hard fall at the Meribel resort and initially described his injury as "relatively serious." But hospital officials later said he was in critical condition, arrived in a coma, required immediate brain surgery, and had a "severe head trauma" from hitting his head on a rock, CNN reports.

The retired racer is no stranger to injuries. He broke his leg during a crash at the Silverstone race course in 1999. He was also hurt seriously in a motorcycling accident in February 2009 in Spain when he suffered neck and spine injuries. He recovered sufficiently from those injuries to make a comeback in F1. Schumacher left racing in 2006 after winning five straight titles with Ferrari following two earlier ones with Benetton. He came back to the sport in 2010 and drove for three seasons for Mercedes without much success before retiring again last year. (More Michael Schumacher stories.)