DTM: Ralf Schumacher's son David breaks his spine in Germany

The son of former Formula One driver Ralf Schumacher has broken his spine in a DTM crash in Germany.

David Schumacher suffered the injuries after a collision with Thomas Preining during Saturday’s DTM event at Hockenheimring.

Both cars were battling for position following a safety car restart when they made contact braking into turn eight, sending them careering into the barriers before bouncing back onto the circuit.

Schumacher’s Winward Mercedes and several other vehicles sustained heavy damage and the race was red-flagged.

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All the drivers involved were taken for medical checks and Schumacher, 20, who is the son of ex-Formula One driver Ralf, was initially given the all-clear.

Schumacher, 20, was initially given the all-clear after the crash but further scans revealed he’d broken his back and he will need six weeks of recovery time.

Ralf Schumacher told Motorsport magazine: ‘When David came home, he was still complaining about back pain.

‘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.’