Brazilian driver Felipe Massa is recovering well from the injuries he sustained when his helmet was hit by a spring that fell off Rubens Barrichello’s car during qualification for the Grand Prix of Hungary.
Massa thinks he will be fit enough to contest the ultimate round of the 2009 season, the maiden Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi. Since 1950 dozens of Formula 1 drivers have been injured during Grand Prix meetings. Some of them never fully recovered from their injuries and decided to stop racing when they realized they were no longer competitive. This is what happened for example to Olivier Panis (broken legs in Canada in 1997 and who later turned to endurance racing), Vittoria Brambilla (head injury in Monza in 1978), Karl Wendlinger (head injury in Monaco in 1994), David Purley (one of biggest crashes in F1 at Silverstone in 1977) and Martin Donnely (160 mph, 100 G crash in Jerez in 1990). Former Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger, broke his neck very badly in a road accident in Austria in 1984 but was fortunate that he received the right medical attention roadside. He then had a successful career in F1. However, Frenchman Philippe Streiff has been paralysed since his AGS-Ford crashed over the barriers while testing in Rio de Janeiro in March 1989. In 1962, Stirling Moss was badly injured in a crash at Goodwood while driving a Lotus. The accident put him in a coma and partially paralyzed the left side of his body. He recovered but decided to retire from racing after a private test session the next year. John Surtees, the1964 F1 World Champion suffered multiple injuries in a Can-Am sportscar race at Mosport Park in September 1965 but came back to win F1 races again, despite long-term health problems after the accident. Several other World Champions also faced serious injuries and made brilliant comebacks in F1. Niki Lauda Austrian driver was severely injured when his Ferrari 312T2 hit the guardrails at high speed on the old Nürburging circuit in 1976. The damaged Ferrari caught fire with Lauda trapped inside. The Austrian returned to F1 for the Italian GP at Monza - just 33 days afterward the crash. His burns were barely beginning to heal. The following season, Lauda clinched the World Championship Michael Schumacher At the British Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari failed to turn for the fast Stowe Corner and went straight into the tire barriers, resulting in a broken leg. After missing six races, he made his return at the inaugural Malaysian Grand Prix, qualifying in the pole position by almost a second. He then assumed the role of second driver, assisting teammate Eddie Irvine's bid to win the Drivers' Championship for Ferrari.
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