Doctors treating Formula One racing legend Michael Schumacher have abandoned their attempts to bring him out of his artificial coma following setbacks, reports said.

According to Germany’s Focus magazine, which enjoys a close relationship with the 45-year-old’s inner circle, the slow waking-up process for the seven-time world champion was put on hold last week.

Schumacher has been in an artificially induced coma since December 29 in the University Hospital of Grenoble in France after he suffered a serious head injury during a ski accident the same day.

According to Daily Mail, the latest claim will only add to the concerns of fans worldwide that the severity of his brain trauma is causing experts concern every step of the way on his torturous road to recovery.

Doctors may have decided to break off his awakening for many reasons, including reduced blood flow, a new infection or signals that the drugs lying in the fatty tissue of his body were not shifting as fast as they would have hoped, the British tabloid said.

Just a fortnight ago he contracted, and fought off, a bout of mild pneumonia.

Now with the latest news, his hopes of making a complete recovery are dimmer than ever.

His wife Corinna, 44, and teenage children Gina-Marie and son Mick are constantly at his bedside.