Injured F1 racer Massa back in Brazil

Writer: AFP

Published: 4/08/2009 at 08:59 AM

Formula One driver Felipe Massa arrived in his native Brazil late Monday, flying in from Hungary where he had surgery for serious head injuries sustained in a June 25 racing accident.

Brazilian Formula One driver Felipe Massa smiles at Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo. Massa arrived in his native Brazil late Monday, flying in from Hungary where he had surgery for serious head injuries sustained in a June 25 racing accident.

The 28-year-old landed at Sao Paulo airport on a private jet accompanied by wife Rafaela and his doctor, Dino Altman, airport officials told AFP.

The plane landed in a military zone of the facility, away from media lenses, and Massa was transferred to a waiting helicopter that was to fly him to Sao Paulo's Albert Einstein Hospital.

Massa's father, Luiz Antonio Massa, had said his son would just undergo check-ups at the hospital but would not be admitted for a lengthy stay, and that he would return to his Sao Paulo home for convalescence.

The Brazilian driver was struck by a suspension spring which had worked its way off Rubens Barrichello's Brawn GP, resulting in Massa crashing his Ferrari into a tire barrier during a qualifying lap in Budapest on June 25.

He underwent emergency surgery in Budapest's AEK hospital for a fractured skull, but within days was able to get up and walk around.

Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher has agreed to return from retirement to fill in for his friend at Ferrari, starting with the European Grand Prix in Valencia on August 23.

Ferrari conducted an interview with him in the Budapest hospital before his release and made it available to media.

Asked about the accident, Massa said he did not remember anything.

"I know that something happened to me, but I didn't feel anything when it happened. They told me that I lost consciousness at the moment of the spring's impact on my helmet and I ran into the barriers, then I woke up in hospital two days later," he said.

He added that he was feeling better and "I want to recover as soon as possible to get back behind the wheel of a Ferrari."

As soon as he returned to Brazil, he said, "I want to get back to a normal life. I want to get back into the best possible condition, doing things you do every day."

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