Zoom Massa boosted by run in the F2007

Having spent 79 days recovering from life-threatening head injuries sustained in Hungary, Felipe Massa on Monday morning returned to the wheel of a Formula One car at Fiorano.

"It felt as if the incident never happened," he said after lapping in the F2007. "It was important to demonstrate to the people who work with me, that nothing has changed, that I can be competitive and that I can contribute to what will be the new car and to next year’s fight for the title.”

Encouragingly, medical tests - overseen by the FIA at the weekend - found that Massa's eyesight will not delay his return to F1 competition with the team confirming that he has fully "recovered the functions of his left eye."

"Obviously I'll take my time as a precaution, you have to respect that, but having got in the car I can tell you that I'm just as I was before the accident," he said after completing 100km at the team’s test track. “I knew that everything was alright 95%, but after today I can even cancel the last 5% of doubt, I still might have had.

While Massa has been ruled out of competition for the remainder of the season, he will be present at his home race at Interlagos at the weekend.

“It would have been great coming back to race in Interlagos, because it’s a track where I’ve always brought out the best but I will be as happy just being there supporting my team,” he concluded.

E.A. © CAPSIS International
Source: GMM