Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo has said he is optimistic about Felipe Massa’s condition after visiting the team’s injured driver in Budapest on Monday. Massa remains stable in hospital following surgery on skull fractures he sustained in his qualifying accident at the Hungaroring on Saturday.
"I'm confident and optimistic about Felipe's capacity to recover, also because he has excellent medical care and I want to thank the staff at the AEK hospital for the work they're doing,” said di Montezemolo after meeting with doctors, as well as Massa’s wife and parents.
"It was a serious and incredible accident, but thank God this is a different situation compared to 1976 when I went to see Niki Lauda after the accident at the Nurburgring,” added. “We have to wait, but the signs are encouraging."
Massa was scanned again on Monday morning without problem and hospital officials have reported he is now able to move his hands and legs. The extent of reported injury to his left eye has not yet been confirmed.
"Our priority is the recovery of Felipe as a man,” continued di Montezemolo. “He has been with us for a long time and he is part of the family and not just of the team... We're all waiting for him at Ferrari and I'm convinced that we'll see him again in one of our single-seaters and that he will be again on top."
Although it looks almost certain Massa will not be racing at the next round of the championship in Valencia next month, di Montezemolo said the team would not be rushing into selecting a stand-in driver.
“I'm heading back to Maranello with (team principal Stefano) Domenicali, who will make suggestions how to substitute the Brazilian driver until he returns, which I hope will be very soon. We'll make a decision when the time is right, considering that there's a break of a month now."
Source: http://www.formula1.com
"I'm confident and optimistic about Felipe's capacity to recover, also because he has excellent medical care and I want to thank the staff at the AEK hospital for the work they're doing,” said di Montezemolo after meeting with doctors, as well as Massa’s wife and parents.
"It was a serious and incredible accident, but thank God this is a different situation compared to 1976 when I went to see Niki Lauda after the accident at the Nurburgring,” added. “We have to wait, but the signs are encouraging."
Massa was scanned again on Monday morning without problem and hospital officials have reported he is now able to move his hands and legs. The extent of reported injury to his left eye has not yet been confirmed.
"Our priority is the recovery of Felipe as a man,” continued di Montezemolo. “He has been with us for a long time and he is part of the family and not just of the team... We're all waiting for him at Ferrari and I'm convinced that we'll see him again in one of our single-seaters and that he will be again on top."
Although it looks almost certain Massa will not be racing at the next round of the championship in Valencia next month, di Montezemolo said the team would not be rushing into selecting a stand-in driver.
“I'm heading back to Maranello with (team principal Stefano) Domenicali, who will make suggestions how to substitute the Brazilian driver until he returns, which I hope will be very soon. We'll make a decision when the time is right, considering that there's a break of a month now."
Source: http://www.formula1.com