Felipe Massa “now 100%”

Let's get back to your accident. Did you think you would be forced to give up competition?

" No never. On the contrary, I was sure, as soon as I came out of my artificial coma, that I would not miss a race, that I would be in Valencia, that no one would take my car! I didn't understand why the doctors, my wife, my parents and my brother kept telling me that I had to stop running for a while. For me it was neither possible nor conceivable. My vision in my left eye was zero but with the three weeks that separated us from Valencia, it was doable for me. Well, I had to face the facts and capitulate to the advice of the doctors. On the other hand, I began preparation and ?repair? accelerated and intense physical exercises in order to complete the stages that they imposed on me. For me, it was morally important to get deeply involved in this physical and mental work. »

Has this accident changed anything in your life?
“No, absolutely nothing. Neither in life nor in my professional approach. He gave me a certain experience, a strength and a bit of fatalism that I perhaps didn't have before. In terms of motivation, it's even better. I wanted to restart the race with one eye missing, so imagine with both! From my first ride with the F2007 in Fiorano (October 12, 2009. Editor's note), the team understood that I had become the ?bastard? before. I just need a decent car. I have had accidents that disturbed me much more than this one. When I found myself without brakes in Monaco in 2002? a big shock. In Barcelona, ​​I broke a suspension twice. The one from Budapest, I didn’t see it coming! Neither the spring nor the shock in the tires. »

You must have appreciated the reaction of Ferrari who has never imagined a permanent replacement?
“After this kind ofpine, it's certain that as the days go by, we think of the worst. That the team will look to replace you, that the drivers have to queue? Ferrari's position has been a huge support for me. »

Your interim, provided by Badoer and Fisichella, was not brilliant. For what reasons ? And Schumacher could he have done better?
“The F60 was not an easy machine to understand, drive and adjust. The history of the broadcaster, Srec? everything got mixed up. Even when I was driving it. They had to learn it and adapt. You don't get there in just a few races. Giancarlo was complaining about braking while the Srec was charging. It didn't bother me, I had gotten used to it. I'm sure Michael would have experienced the same problems. In addition, the fact that the team stopped all development, while the others continued theirs, did not help. »

The full interview can be found in AUTOhebdo dated January 20, 2010…