Former F1 world champion Michael Schumacher has announced he will not return to the sport due to a neck injury he sustained in a 2008 motorcycle accident.
"The consequences of the injuries caused by the motorcycle accident, fractures in the area of head and neck, unfortunately have turned out to be still too severe," the 40-year-old said.
The extreme G-forces associated with F1 racing mean that whiplash-style injuries remain a constant risk for drivers. Schumacher explains, "That is why my neck cannot stand the extreme stresses caused by F1 yet. These are the clear results of the examinations we did on the course of the past two weeks and the final examination on Monday afternoon.
"As there were no improvements after the day in Mugello, I decided at short notice on Sunday to do that thorough examination on Monday."
A Ferrari spokesperson said that it is "extremely disappointing" that Schumacher's motorcycle accident injuries have prevented him for standing in for Felipe Massa.
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