Schumacher shows "small signs" of improvement

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Michael Schumacher has showed improvement in his "wake-up phase" and his family is confident that the seven-time Formula 1 world champion will recover from a life-threatening head injury he suffered while skiing at a French resort in December, the racing legend's manager Sabine Kehm informed Wednesday.

"We are and remain confident that Michael will pull through and will wake up. There sometimes are small, encouraging signs, but we also know that this is the time to be very patient," said Kehm.

"Michael has suffered severe injuries. It is very hard to comprehend for all of us that Michael, who had overcome a lot of precarious situations in the past, has been hurt so terribly in such a banal situation.

"It was clear from the start that this will be a long and hard fight for Michael. We are taking this fight on together with the team of doctors, whom we fully trust. The length of the process is not the important part for us," she stressed.

Kehm said Schumacher's family was grateful to his fans around the world for their continued prayers and support, requesting privacy at the same time.

"It is heart-warming to see how much sympathy his family is shown and I can say that the family is extremely grateful for it. However, it should not be forgotten that Michael's family is dealing with an extremely intimate and fragile situation. And I would like to remind all of us that Michael has always actively kept his family out of the public eye and consequently protected their private lives.

"We try to channel all the energies we have toward Michael and we firmly believe that this will help him. And we believe that he will also win this fight," she added.

Schumacher was put in induced coma in a Grenoble hospital in France after the 45-year-old severely injured his head in a skiing accident at the French resort of Meribel Dec 29. Doctors initiated the wake up phase Jan 30.