Felipe Massa’s condition is improving according to doctors

The doctors aimed to be reassuring this morning in Budapest regarding the health of driver Felipe Massa. After his crash on Saturday during qualifying, the Brazilian seems to be gradually recovering, without showing any irreversible injuries.

Felipe Massa suffered a massive shock on Saturday afternoon during the Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying. The Brazilian, after hitting debris (a poorly secured spring on Barrichello’s Brawn GP), lost consciousness. He attempted to brake just before crashing into the tire wall (filled with water), embedding himself at over 100 km/h.

Taken by helicopter to the AEK hospital in Budapest, the Ferrari driver underwent emergency surgery immediately. The Brazilian suffers from a skull fracture and a concussion; injuries that can sometimes have irreversible consequences on the brain.

In a statement, his manager, Frenchman Nicolas Todt, admitted that the 48 hours following his accident would be decisive for the continuation of Massa’s career in Formula 1. At this time, he is gradually coming out of the artificial coma in which he was placed to prevent suffering or further damage to his brain. The doctors are confident.

Bocskai, the spokesperson for the Hungarian Ministry of Defense, commented on a national television channel: « Felipe [Massa] spent the night calmly. A few hours ago, he underwent an ultrasound to prevent any risk—water can sometimes stagnate in the digestive system. »

« Overall, his condition is encouraging. He will undergo another scan in the afternoon to confirm the diagnosis from yesterday’s scan. He wakes up regularly, is conscious, and communicates passively. He responds to what is said to him, which is a good sign. We hope for a slow recovery of all his abilities starting tomorrow. »

Such a shock can have lasting consequences on the human brain. Even though Massa does not seem to have lost his left eye (where the debris hit him), he still does not communicate orally. According to Bocskai, it is too early to give an opinion on the matter, but past tests show that he should recover very well according to our doctors.

He adds: « Every moment is important in his recovery. He is in one of the most modern hospitals in Europe and everyone is taking care of him to give him the best chances of a quick recovery. »

Stefano Domenicali, Luca Di Montezemolo, and Bernie Ecclestone visited the Brazilian driver this morning. Meanwhile, the officials from FOTA (association of F1 teams) and GPDA (association of F1 drivers) are working to determine the cause of the accident and take measures to prevent its recurrence in the future. Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso are currently engaged in this task.