Zoom Next stop: Maranello

Felipe Massa's medical exams at the Pitié Salpetrière hospital in Paris came to their conclusion on Saturday and the results were very promising indeed since he has been cleared for the next step: sitting behind the wheel of a single-seater.

Massa will therefore leave France and head to Italy, where a test drive aboard a privately-owned Ferrari F2007 awaits at the team's Maranello track on Monday, and not on Sunday as a previous press release had led to believe.

The Brazilian has made good progress in recovering from the head wounds he sustained last July during Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying. The neurological checks and other medical exams of the last two days were observed by the FIA.

The test drive at the controls of the F2007 will allow 28-year-old Massa to evaluate his body's reactions as he heads back towards full fitness.

In a statement, Ferrari said that the outcome of the check-ups were "rather positive" and indicated that taking the wheel of the two-year-old car is "the best possible way" for Massa to continue his recovery programme.

Daniel BASTIEN
© CAPSIS International