The nephew of paralysed ex-Formula One star Michael Schumacher has suffered a broken back after being involved in a violent crash while racing in the German touring car series last weekend.

David Schumacher, the son of ex-Formula One driver Ralf Schumacher, revealed the injury after initially walking away freely from the fiery incident.

Schumacher tangled with Thomas Preining during lap six of the the Hockenheim DTM event and both cars left the track before colliding head-on with a concrete barrier.

Their crash then created further drama on the track as Porsche ace Dennis Olsen hit a separate barrier on the other side of the track, while trying to avoid a pile-up, which resulted in a ball of flames bursting into the air.

The race was immediately brought to a halt to check the health of the drivers involved and to clear debris.

The moment Schumacher's car hits the concrete barrier. Photo / DTM

Thomas Preining and David Schumacher embrace after the crash. Photo / DTM

While Schumacher was initially cleared of any injuries by medical staff, he was experiencing lingering pain and when precautionary scans were taken on David's back, they revealed he had, in fact, broken one of his vertebra.

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"When David came home, he was still complaining about back pain. It turned out that a lumbar vertebra was broken. This means a break of around six weeks for David," his father Ralf told Motorsport magazine.

David's uncle, Michael Schumacher, suffered a near-fatal brain injury when skiing in the French resort of Meribel in December 2013.

His condition has been shrouded in secrecy for the past nine years, thanks mainly due to wife Corinna, who has vowed to protect his privacy as he recovers at home in Lake Geneva, Switzerland.

Michael's son, Mick, is now racing in Formula One for the Haas team, but he has also made no comment on his father's condition.