Former Formula One champion Michael Schumacher has left a Swiss hospital and will continue his treatment at home after a devastating ski accident in December, his family has said in a statement.
In a surprise announcement on Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the family of the retired German racing star said he was being moved from a top-notch hospital in the Swiss city of Lausanne to his home in nearby Gland.
"Henceforth Michael's rehabilitation will take place at his home," Sabine Kehm said, stressing that "considering the severe injuries he suffered, progress has been made in the past weeks and months".
"There is still, however, a long and difficult road ahead," she cautioned, providing no further details on Schumacher's health status.
The 45-year-old slammed his head on a rock while skiing with his son and friends in the French Alps in December.
The seven-time world champion underwent two operations to remove life-threatening blood clots after the freak accident that shocked the world, before being plunged into a medically induced coma.
He emerged from the coma in June and was transferred from a French hospital to the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), renowned for it neurology experts.
"We would like extend our gratitude to the entire team at CHUV Lausanne for their thorough and competent work," Tuesday's statement said.
"We ask that the privacy of Michael's family continue to be respected, and that speculations about his state of health are avoided," it added.
Schumacher, a ruthless and at times controversial competitor, won an unprecedented 91 races, and seven world titles.
He first retired aged 37 but was unable to resist the lure of the track. In 2010, he came out of retirement but failed to re-enact his previous performances, and he quit for good in 2012.
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