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F1: Injured Felipe Massa thinks he could race in Valencia

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Khatir Soltani
From GMM

According to the latest reports Ferrari Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa is scheduled to board a private plane bound for his home in Sao Paulo on Monday.

It had been suggested that his hospital stay in Budapest might continue into next week, or that he be transferred to the Pitié-Salpêtrière in Paris.

But the latest suggestion is that, at the end of a few days out of intensive care and under observation in a normal hospital room, the AEK in central Budapest will be satisfied to see the 28-year-old check out at the end of the forthcoming weekend.

He will travel by helicopter to the local airport, where a private jet will fly to Brazil, hospital director Istvan Szilvassy is quoted as saying by Hungarian television Magyar Televizio.

After some days at home he will then travel to the Paris hospital to receive the rehabilitation treatment of Dr Gérard Saillant, who has treated Michael Schumacher and Ronaldo in the past.

"His condition is appropriate, he does not have any serious neurological symptoms at the moment. I think the early phases of rehabilitation can start now," AEK neurologist Attila Toth added.

Earlier, in his daily media update, the Ferrari driver's personal doctor Dino Altman said Massa looked "like a boxer" but was recovering well.

"He talks a lot and is cracking jokes," Altman said, revealing that when he heard Schumacher would replace him at Valencia, Massa answered: "We'll see if I let him drive my car!"

"Racing is all he can think of," Dr Altman added.

"He thinks he would be able to race in Valencia."

"There's nothing to worry about, and no further operations are forecast. He remembers everything starting from Saturday, except for the crash of which he can't remember anything.

"He knows what day is today, and he also knows that for two or three days he wasn't conscious, and he can remember his position in qualifying prior to the accident," Altman said.


photo:Ferrari
Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
Automotive expert
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