Michael Schumacher 'To be Brought out of Coma'

Stricken Formula One legend Michael Schumacher is to be woken up from a coma by doctors, according to reports in France.

The development has not been confirmed or denied by medical staff treating the German at hospital in Grenoble, following his catastrophic skiing crash on the slopes of Meribel in the French Alps, last month.

Sports daily L'Equipe reported Schumacher's five weeks in a medically induced were nearing an end, with a plan to ease him back in to consciousness.

But it clashed with other reports claiming the procedure had been delayed in order to give the seven-time F1 champion's injured brain more time to heal.

Conflicting reports speak of the news vacuum surrounding Schumacher, after his family imposed a news blackout.

Spokeswoman Sabine Kehm did not deny the latest reports of of a bid to end his coma. "I am stressing again any statement regarding Michael's health is not coming from the doctors treating him, or from his management, must be considered as speculation," she said. "I repeat, we will not comment on any speculation."

She told local newspaper Le Dauphiné Libéré that Schumacher's condition was "considered stable." That was the same diagnosis as 11 days ago, when the last insight in to his condition was made public.

"I also repeat that Michael's family is very happy and confident with the work of the team of doctors treating Michael, and they trust them completely," she said.

Reports in Germany cast fears for Schumacher the longer he stays in a coma. The Rheinische Post paper reported on Wednesday: "The longer Schumacher cannot be resusciated from the medically induced coma the doubts are more justified than ever that he will ever be completely healthy."

The Ferrari and Mercedes teams each sent public get well messages to Schumacher as testing for the 2014 season got underway in Jerez, Spain. Schumacher won seven world championships with Ferrari, before emerging from retirement in 2010 to join Mercedes for three seasons.