Michael Schumacher’s condition may be improving, but quotes attributed this week to the F1 legend’s friend Jean Todt seem to have been lost in translation, leading to some confusion.
On Tuesday, it was reported that the FIA president had told the Belgian broadcaster RTL after visiting Schumacher at home that the German "can live a relatively normal life within a short period of time."
The quote was translated from print reports that appeared on Monday at the specialist Dutch website formule1.nl, and the Dutch-language Belgian newspaper HLN.
Subsequent investigations have revealed that Todt's comments were in fact made to French radio RTL, in which the 68-year-old did sound optimistic about the future of his former Ferrari colleague.
It was actually the reporter who had asked Todt if Schumacher will one day live a 'normal life' again, to which the former Ferrari boss answered: "One can only hope.
"We can say he will probably not be able to drive in Formula One again.
"He has made progress in recent weeks and months, but there is still a long and hard road ahead of him.
"He needs time and rest. He fights and one can hope that things will improve quickly."
When pressed for details about Schumacher's current condition, including whether the former Ferrari and Mercedes driver can move and speak, Todt insisted: "I do not want to say because it is a very personal matter.
"What is important is that he is alive and his family is around him."
