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F1: Felipe Massa to test GP2, then old Ferrari in preparation for return

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Khatir Soltani
From GMM

Stewards at Suzuka have told Ferrari that Felipe Massa can test a GP2 car next week for the purposes of a "medical exam", the Italian team confirmed on Sunday.

The Brazilian driver, who has been confirmed as Fernando Alonso's teammate for the 2010 season, is recovering from serious head injuries sustained in July's Hungarian GP qualifying.

For the first time since returning home from Budapest to Brazil, he is now en route to Maranello, where his first tasks for this week will be work at the wheel of the team's state of the art driver simulator.

The next step will be the GP2 car, after the FIA officials said it will not violate the total ban on in-season testing.

It has also been reported from Japan that in the slightly more distant future for Massa, 28, will be a test - again on GP2 rubber - in the two-year-old F2007 Ferrari, as was undertaken by Michael Schumacher recently.

Team boss Stefano Domenicali told reporters at Suzuka that a return to racing for Massa for his forthcoming home Brazilian grand prix is impossible, but that there is a remote chance he might be back in the F60 at Abu Dhabi.

"The main target is Bahrain next year," the Italian insisted.

Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
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