Michael Schumacher's nephew David suffered a broken spine in his horror crash during a race in Germany last weekend.
Schumacher, 20, was initially given the all-clear after he collided with Thomas Preining during the DTM event at Hockenheim on Saturday.
But he complained of discomfort in the aftermath of the nasty crash and scans showed he had broken a bone in his back.
"When David came home, he was still complaining about back pain," his father and Michael's brother Ralf told Motorsport magazine.
"We then decided to go to a hospital in Salzburg to have a MRI done. It turned out that a lumbar vertebra was broken.
"According to the treating physicians, this means a break of around six weeks for David."
Schumacher and Preining had been jostling for position when both drivers braked for Turn 8, careering into the barriers at high speed before rebounding back onto the track.
The incident forced Dennis Olsen to take drastic action in his SSR Porsche, but after losing control of his car, the Norwegian flew into the barrier on the other side of the track. Engine components scattered everywhere as a result as as part of the vehicle went up in flames in concerning scenes.
All drivers were able to escape although Schumacher's later prognosis comes as a blow to the motorsport driver.
The 20-year-old had hoped to secure his place in F2 this season as his cousin Mick continues his progress in F1, although his status is not secure for next year.
But David admitted he was not able to secure enough money through sponsorship to seal a seat but did manage a spot driving a Mercedes car in DTM.
His father and former F1 driver Ralf had funded his career to this point but insisted the route to F1 was no longer affordable.
