While seven-time Formula One racing champ Michael Schumacher lay comatose in a Grenoble hospital on his 45th birthday Friday — and 100 fans showed support outside by waving red- and-yellow Ferrari flags — guests at the exclusive French Alpine resort where he crashed while skiing were creating their own vigil on the slopes.
Page Six’s spies in the snow, who said vacationers there include Kate Moss and Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, spotted a lighted candle as well as flowers on the rock where Schumacher wiped out.
“There was a 10-inch white candle burning inside a glass that was stuck in the snow,” said a source, as well as a “growing number of bouquets” that included “red and yellow flowers and white roses.”
Investigators are reportedly examining a camera that was on Schumacher’s helmet to help determine the cause of the crash, and added that the retired driver was skiing “off piste,” away from safer, groomed ski runs.
But our source said that the course where the daredevil driver was skiing “wasn’t on a difficult slope . . . it was a blue.”
The source added that Schumacher “had skied over to help a friend of one of his children, who fell in some powder at a fork between two groomed runs” — and that after helping the youngster, Schumacher then “took a couple of turns and hit a small rock in the snow and flipped over and hit another larger rock. He wasn’t being crazy.” Reports have said Schumacher’s helmet cracked on impact.
As a further tribute, the resort’s ski patrol made a run down the mountain Thursday night while holding lighted torches dedicated to Schumacher, who was in critical but stable condition.
In nearby Meribel and Courchevel, stars have been spending New Year’s and others have stayed for Russian Orthodox Christmas this coming Tuesday. Spies said Prokhorov has hit Courchevel for his annual trip there, where he’s known to bring in a chef to specially make his favorite meal, a crispy pork dish that takes 24 hours to prepare.