'I was very lucky' says Schumacher

The world championship leader's Ferrari left the track at the circuit's second chicane, the Variante della Roggia, and hit the barriers head on. The car lost both front wheels in the initial impact, then slid along the escape road barrier, coming to rest with the front of the chassis wedged under a guardrail. Schumacher was able to walk away from the accident, but was sent home to Switzerland to recuperate.

"I have to say I was very lucky, because the guardrail absorbed much of the impact of the accident," he said.

"It all happened very quickly. I braked and, without warning, the rear of the car snapped to the left and then I ended up in the right hand side barrier and slid along the guardrail.

"I could not control it because, in the impact, the front right wheel came off, so I had no steering and, more importantly, no brakes. I did not scrub off much speed as I went along the barrier on the gravel and then the car ended up where the barrier formed an angle."

Ferrari says the accident may have been caused by a loss of rear end downforce, as a result of damage to the F2001's undertray from contact with the kerbs at the first chicane.

Schumacher will definitely race in his home event, the German Grand Prix next weekend and has now returned to his normal fitness and training routine.

"I'm fine," he said. "Naturally, on Wednesday and Thursday I still felt the after effects of the accident, but not too much.

"The doctors advised me to take a short break to relax and suggested I should not make an immediate return to testing. On Thursday afternoon, I did some light training and over the weekend I will continue with my normal physical training programme."

Schumacher is 37 points ahead of McLaren's David Coulthard in the title chase, with a total of just 60 up for grabs. Victory for the German in Hockenheim would equal Alain Prost's record of 51 GP victories.