Massa back for Monza
"I hope that I can be back at the Brazilian grand prix for my public, and perhaps even earlier," the injured Ferrari driver told Brazilian TV Globo.
It is reported that the 28-year-old's recuperation is progressing at speed, but that the vision in his left eye is not yet back to 100 per cent.
Massa is hoping that by the next round of detailed tests at the beginning of September, he will be given the green light to return to the track.
"If the doctors here in Brazil say it is ok I will first of all get into a kart," he said. The step after that is for the FIA's medical team to assess him.
"I can hardly wait to drive again," said Massa, who revealed that he has not feared death at any time during or since his Hungarian GP qualifying crash ordeal because he remembers nothing of the actual incident.
08/17/09 (GMM) Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali insists there is no need to rush Felipe Massa into returning quickly to the cockpit of his formula one car.
Italy's Corriere dello Sport at the weekend claimed the 28-year-old Brazilian, seriously injured at the recent Hungarian grand prix, may be fully recovered by the time of the Monza race in less than one month.
It is said Massa is due to be examined in Paris at the beginning of September, which could give him the green light to race in Italy and the subsequent four last races of 2009.
The report also said the 2008 championship runner-up may have to wear extra protective gear should he make his return in just a few weeks' time.
After visiting Massa at his home in Sao Paulo on Sunday, Domenicali confirmed the driver's good recovery, but urged patience in the face of the speculation about his return.
"Felipe is in excellent form and his recovery is going very well," he said.
"I'm very happy about Felipe's state," Domenicali told Ferrari's official website by telephone. "The medical checks, which have been carried out over the last two weeks, continue to be very encouraging.
"Now it's important to be patient and take one step at a time, without any hurry."
08/15/09 According to reports in Italy's Corriere dello Sport, Felipe Massa may return to the Formula 1 cockpit at the Italian GP at Monza, if his recuperation goes well. This would be seven weeks after the accident in Budapest. The principal delay in Massa's recovery is unlikely to be the injury to the front of his head, nor the concussion, but rather a secondary fracture he suffered at the base of his skull. There has not been much information about this but our sources tell us that it was a hairline fracture. This needs to be fully healed before he will be allowed to risk racing in F1 again as another accident could be very serious indeed. That may not be very likely but the FIA doctors will always err on the side of caution. Massa's progress is, by all accounts, impressive. He is keeping fit and hoping to be able to go to Paris early in September for a medical examination to see if he will be allowed to race.