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Journalism of Courage
Ferrari driver Felipe Massa is on his way home to Brazil,nine days after a life-threatening crash during qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Massa is expected to arrive in Sao Paulo on Monday evening,accompanied on a private jet by his wife Raffaela,who is six months pregnant with their first child,and family doctor Dino Altman.
Many things have happened over the last few days and I want to get back to a normal life, Massa said in an interview on Ferraris website. I want to get back into the best possible condition doing things you do every day.
Massa,who said he was feeling well aside from some swelling around his damaged left eye,left the AEK military hospital where he was being treated and will be transported in a helicopter from Sao Paulo airport to a local hospital.
He is expected to undergo further tests there and is likely to stay for about two days before being allowed to return to his home. The 28-year-old Massa underwent surgery on multiple skull fractures after he was hit in the helmet by a loose part from another car and crashed into a protective tyre barrier on August 25.
It is sort of a strange feeling. I know exactly what happened,that a spring came off Rubenss car and hit me on the helmet. I know that something happened to me,but I didnt feel anything when it happened. They told me that I lost consciousness at the moment of the springs impact on my helmet and I ran into the barriers,then I woke up in hospital two days later, he said.
He doesnt actively recall anything,however. I dont remember anything and thats why what the doctors did had to be explained to me. When I saw Rob (Smedley,his race engineer),he asked me if I remembered Rubens,but the last thing I remembered was when I was behind him at the end of my fast lap in Q2,and then its blank.
Best man
He will be replaced at Ferrari by record seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher,who visited Massa on Saturday at his Budapest hospital and is coming out of retirement to race.
Michael doesnt need my advice, Massa said. It was him who gave me many tips during my career when we were racing together. He knows how to win,he knows how to drive and hes great.
It was the best choice handing over the car to such a fantastic person and Im sure that everybody will be happy to see him back on the track again although I hope Ill be back on the track with Ferrari as soon as possible.
