Schumacher nephew fractures spine in horror crash (VIDEO)

The family of David Schumacher, the nephew of Formula 1 icon Michael Schumacher, has released a statement after the 20-year-old rising motorsport star suffered a fractured spine in a crash in Germany last weekend.

Schumacher was initially cleared by doctors following his crash in the DTM touring series race at Hockenheim on Saturday after a collision involving fellow driver Thomas Preining, but the young driver continued to complain of significant pain to his lower back, with subsequent tests revealing a broken lumbar vertebra.

His father Ralf, who is also an F1 veteran, elaborated on the injury in a statement to Motorsport magazine and said that it will force him to take some time away from motor-racing – but added that the injury should sideline him for less than two months.

“When David came home, he was still complaining about back pain,” former Jordan and Williams driver Ralf Schumacher, 47, said.

“We then decided to go to a hospital in Salzburg to have a MRI done. It turned out that a lumbar vertebra was broken.

“According to the treating physicians, this means a break of around six weeks for David.”

The accident occurred when Schumacher and rival driver Preining were engaged in a duel for position before they both braked at the same time ahead of turn eight, leading to them careening directly into the barrier and rebounding back onto the track.

Another driver, Dennis Olsen, was forced to take evasive action but lost control of his car and sent it towards the opposite barrier at high speed.

Several parts of wreckage from the cars involved in the smash were left scattered across the track, with flames visible from some parts of the wreckage.

READ MORE: Rising motorsport star dies aged 22 after crash

Thankfully, all drivers escaped without serious injury and David Schumacher is expected to make a full recovery and will resume his racing career in the coming weeks.

The German driver is thought to be a leading candidate to secure a seat with a Formula 2 team this season, though it remains to be seen what impact the crash may have on his immediate career objectives. 

Schumacher’s cousin Mick, who is the son of Michael Schumacher, currently races for the Haas F1 team.

Michael Schumacher remains arguably the most famous name in the history of the sport, though his own medical condition largely remains a mystery almost nine years after suffering a brain injury in a skiing accident in the French Alps.