AUGUST 15, 2009

Massa back in Italy?

According to reports in Italy's Corriere dello Sport, Felipe Massa may return to the Formula 1 cockpit at the Italian GP at Monza, if his recuperation goes well. This would be seven weeks after the accident in Budapest.

According to reports in Italy's Corriere dello Sport, Felipe Massa may return to the Formula 1 cockpit at the Italian GP at Monza, if his recuperation goes well. This would be seven weeks after the accident in Budapest. The principal delay in Massa's recovery is unlikely to be the injury to the front of his head, nor the concussion, but rather a secondary fracture he suffered at the base of his skull. There has not been much information about this but our sources tell us that it was a hairline fracture. This needs to be fully healed before he will be allowed to risk racing in F1 again as another accident could be very serious indeed. That may not be very likely but the FIA doctors will always err on the side of caution.

Massa's progress is, by all accounts, impressive. He is keeping fit and hoping to be able to go to Paris early in September for a medical examination to see if he will be allowed to race.