Felipe Massa continued to show improvements in his condition on Tuesday, and Ferrari officials expressed hope that he could eventually return to Formula One.
Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali and his predecessor Jean Todt visited Massa and his family in the hospital, where the Brazilian driver is recuperating from surgery on multiple skull fractures following a high-speed crash.
Domenicali said Massa’s recovery would be a “step by step” process but sounded optimistic about the Brazilian’s chances of returning to the track.
PHOTO: REUTERS
“As soon as he will be back, that is his car,” Domenicali said outside the hospital. “For me it was incredible to see a fantastic improvement after just three days.”
Doctors said on Monday that Massa could be released as early as next week.
Asked if Massa would be back racing, a visibly emotional Todt replied: “At the moment, it is important that he is back to life.”
“After such an accident, it’s a relief that things are hopefully going in the right direction,” he said.
Massa’s family doctor, Dino Altman, on Tuesday described the racer as “more alert than he was before” and “improving continuously,” adding that Massa was answering questions in three languages.
Altman also addressed what is considered one of the most crucial issues with Massa’s health — vision in his left eye, which was injured in the accident.
“Yes, he can see with his left eye,” Altman said. “He knows what’s right and left so his left eye has no problems. His eyesight is OK.”
Doctors said Massa was awake and breathing unassisted, able to move his limbs and having brief conversations with family members and the medical staff.
Peter Bazso, medical director of the AEK hospital, said his condition could still deteriorate again, but that “naturally, this risk is diminishing day by day.”
Bazso added that it was possible to fully recover from injuries like those suffered by Massa.
“I expect him to leave the hospital on his own two feet,” Bazso said. “I don’t rule out [Massa] leaving within 10 days.”
The 28-year-old Brazilian driver was hit in the helmet by a loose part from another car and crashed into a protective tire barrier at 190kph during qualifying on Saturday at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
F1’s governing body, the FIA, is investigating the accident. Todt is a candidate to become president of the FIA when Max Mosley steps down in October.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that