Formula One Legend Michael Schumacher Is Fighting For His Life Following Skiing Accident

Vincenzo Pinto/AFPA picture taken on January 17, 2003 shows Formula One World champion Michael Schumacher holding his skis before a giant slalom race in Madonna di Campiglio

GRENOBLE, France (Reuters) - Former Formula One champion Michael Schumacher was battling for his life in hospital on Monday after a ski injury, doctors said, adding it was too early to say whether he would pull through.

"We can say that his condition is life-threatening," Jean-Francois Payen, head anesthetician at the CHU hospitalin the eastern French city of Grenoble told a news conference.

"For the moment we cannot say what Michael Schumacher's future is," he added.

Seven-times Formula One world champion Schumacher was admitted to hospital on Sunday suffering head injuries in an off-piste skiing accident in the French Alps resort of Meribel.

Neurosurgeon Stephan Chabardes said an emergency brain scan carried out on Schumacher, 44, had revealed internal bleeding, and injuries including contusions and lesions. He said they had operated a first time to treat the internal bleeding.

Doctors said Schumacher had been placed in an artificial coma but, contrary to an earlier French media report, said they had not carried out a second operation during the night and were not planning any further interventions at this stage.

(Reporting by Morade Azzouz; writing by Muriel Boselli; editing by Mark John)