Formula 1:Felipe Massa insists he has not had a single moment's doubt about returning to Formula One, though his comeback has been put on hold until next year following an operation to insert a titanium plate into his skull.
The Brazilian spent four and a half hours in surgery yesterday in the Albert Einstein hospital in his home city of Sao Paulo.
Following a short stay, Massa will then return home to continue his recovery from the skull fractures sustained after being struck by a spring from Rubens Barrichello’s Brawn GP during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Like any driver whose world is motor-racing, Massa cannot wait to get back behind the wheel of his Ferrari.
"It is my life," said Massa, speaking to The Guardian. "For me, the worst thing that happened was not being able to race. If you can't drive that's terrible.
“But my wife has already asked me, at least 10 times, ‘Are you sure you don’t feel any doubts or worries?’
“Always, I say, ‘No, because this is what I like to do.‘ If I don’t drive then I am not the same person.
“Ever since I was a small boy this is my life. This is what I like to do.
“So I really hope, and expect, nothing will change inside me when I go back into the car and start pushing myself to the maximum again.”
The accident has only steeled Massa’s resolve to become champion.
Asked if he believed he will one day win the title, Massa replied: “Always. Even more now. I have to believe it.”
PA