More than a month after his near-fatal accident, doctors are trying to wake up Formula One legend Michael Schumacher from the 'artificial coma'. But according to the German newsmagazine Focus that has been following the story in detail, the process can take days to months.

"The waking-up can take days, weeks and even months, depending on how quickly the body breaks down the anaesthetic," the newsmagazine said.

However, it has also been reported that Schumi may be left in a permanent vegetative state after waking from the coma.

Some well-known F1 figures, however, interpreted the news about the beginning of the waking-up process as a positive sign.
"No one from a distance can assess the situation," the former world champion Niki Lauda told the Swiss newspaper Blick, "but I am happy that at last there is a positive message."

Red Bull team owner Dietrich Mateschitz agreed: "I can only hope that this is good news."