A critical 3 minutes for Michael Schumacher

A critical three minutes may have made all the difference to the health outcome of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher.

Late this month, the sad anniversary of a full ten years since the great German’s skiing accident will pass. To mark the occasion, German journalist Jens Gideon has produced a series for the broadcaster ARD, including visiting the scene of the fall in the French Alps.

He also spoke to local skiing instructor Andre, who was among the first at the scene of the incident in 2013, according to Kolner Stadt-Anzeiger newspaper.

"The helmet was crushed," Andre recalls. "The camera was still on top of the helmet."

The helmet camera footage has never been seen publicly, but Gideon and Andre report that Schumacher, now 54, was initially conscious after striking his head on a rock.

They said this may have given first responders the false impression that Schumacher was not in grave danger. However, once the airlift helicopter was on the way to the hospital in the nearby small town of Moutiers, the former Ferrari and Mercedes driver’s condition quickly deteriorated.

Schumacher lost consciousness and was intubated, but the helicopter reportedly landed in Moutiers - where the decision was almost instantly made to take off again and fly him to the more specialised Grenoble hospital.

"Schumacher could have been in Grenoble three minutes earlier," Gideon claims.