Ralf's injury worse than first thought

On a day that would see Ralf celebrate his birthday it was not good news.

The test have shown that Ralf injuries are worse than first thought as he has two spinal fractures as a result of his crash during the recent United States Grand Prix. Schumacher is being treated by doctors at a clinic in the town of Bad Nauheim. They have indicated that Ralf may need eight to twelve weeks to recover.

With the Formula One season finishing in Sao Paulo on October 24 Ralf's injury may see him out of racing for the rest of the season.

Ralf commented, on his personal web site, about the news by saying: "To be honest, I imagined my birthday would be rather different. Yesterday's diagnosis was a real blow. But so be it. What's happened has happened. The injury is worse than feared. I have to get through it."