Felipe Massa cherishes F1 return after Hungary crash

By Jens Marx Mar 11, 2010, 14:26 GMT

Sakhir, Bahrain - Felipe Massa was welcomed with open arms on Thursday and is delighted to race again almost eight months after a life-threatening Formula One crash.

'I am back after eight months. I am really happy and motivated,' Massa told a news conference on the eve of the first practice sessions for Sunday's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

World champion Jenson Button said 'it is great that Felipe is back again.'

Massa suffered a horror crash in late July 2009 during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest, hit by a part of Rubens Barrichello's Brawn car and crashing his Ferrari into a tyre wall at almost 200kph.

The Brazilian underwent surgery for serious skull injuries and was put into an induced coma. But Massa is now completely cured and only a scar below the left eye a sign of the terrible accident.

Massa was soon back in the cockpit even though a comeback late in the 2009 season did not materialize for the man who just missed the 2008 world title.

Massa drove a cart and then an old F1 car as he prepared his return for the 2010 season in the new Ferrari.

Since the accident, a few things have changed though.

Massa has a new team-mate in two-time world champion Fernando Alonso of Spain.

A strong team-mate is nothing new for Massa, who drove alongside Michael Schumacher (also back this season) when the German won the 2006 crown and Kimi Raikkonen 2007-2009, with Raikkonen lifting the trophy 2007.

'I believe things are going well between us,' said Massa of Alonso. 'I have had strong team-mates over the past years, so things haven't really changed for me.'

However, Massa also enters the 2010 season as a father as his son was born in late November.

The Ferrari founder is said to have once remarked that drivers become slower once they are a father. But Massa would have none of this, citing the example of Schumacher who won several of his record seven titles as a father.

'I can't agree. I enjoy being a father. It is an unbelievable feeling. It is more than a motivation in my life and makes me work even harder,' said Massa recently on the Ferrari home page.