Ferrari driver Massa remains in life-threatening state

RyanZ

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By PABLO GORONDI,Associated Press Writer AP - Monday, July 27
BUDAPEST, Hungary - Ferrari driver Felipe Massa remained in "life-threatening" but stable condition on Sunday following surgery on multiple skull fractures.
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Peter Bazso, the AEK hospital medical director, told reporters that Massa would remain sedated until Monday, but will be woken up periodically during that time.
When asked whether Massa's life remained in danger, Bazso answered: "Yes, of course."
Bazso said doctors were able to "remove the broken bones and stabilize the area," which was necessary since Massa arrived with "an open skull fracture and a contusion."
He did not specify how long it would take Massa to recover, or whether there would be any long-term effects of the injury.
"At the moment, we have to overcome this life-threatening condition," Bazso said, adding that a CT scan revealed "expected results after an operation of this type."
Massa's parents and wife arrived after flying in from Brazil, and doctors woke Massa temporarily to check on his condition and so that he could see his family.
Team principal Stefano Domenicali and several Ferrari staff were also on hand to support Massa's family, which included pregnant wife Anna Rafaela.
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo was scheduled to visit on Monday, while fellow Brazilian driver Rubens Barrichello was buoyed by the news he received from a doctor at the hospital when he visited after the Hungarian Grand Prix, although he didn't personally see Massa.
"For me I can leave it in peace because he's going to be fine," Barrichello said. "The improvements from yesterday were quite good and that most probably he's going to be OK."
At the Hungaroring circuit, Ferrari's garage displayed a banner reading "Forza Felipe Siamo Con Te" _ or "Be Strong Felipe, We Are With You."
"Yesterday was a quite sad day to not see Felipe with us today," said race winner Lewis Hamilton, who battled Massa for the 2008 championship. "We miss him and wish him well and wish him a speedy recovery."
The spring from Barrichello's Brawn GP car bounced into Massa's helmet as the 28-year-old driver reached speeds of about 120 mph. The impact concussed Massa, who then plowed into the protective tire barrier.
"That's the job we do. We don't want to get too carried away with it," Red Bull's Mark Webber said. "He'll be fine. We missed him on the grid but the show must go on."
The impact of the rear suspension part, believed to be made of steel, damaged the left side of Massa's helmet, ripping out the visor and leaving a long dent on its side. Blood was visible on Massa's left brow.
Barrichello said the incident weighed on his mind Sunday.
"I would be lying if in the middle of the race it didn't sometimes come to my mind. It's a friend," he said. "Not because the spring came from my car _ it could have come from any car so I'm not actually (blaming) myself for that."
The crash came less than a week after Henry Surtees, the son of former F1 champion John Surtees, died in similar circumstances in an F2 race last Sunday. Surtees was struck in the head by a tire from another car, causing him to lose consciousness and drive into a barrier.
FIA would investigate the crash, which is commonplace for the governing body.
"It was very unfortunate what happened. (But) we have phenomenal safety in Formula One," Webber said. "Yesterday was terrifically freakish."
No F1 driver has died on the track since Ayrton Senna's crash at Imola 15 years ago. The three-time champion died from head injuries after a violent crash.
___
AP Auto Racing Writer Paul Logothetis contributed to this report.

I hope things turned well for him.
 
There's alot of incidents in the world of motorsport.

There's even a racer in the American championship who got 2nd degree burns during a routine pit-stop.

Hope Massa gets well soon and back onto his ferrari.
 
I thought the 3+K Helmet will be able to withstand such debris impact. F1 should regulate the use of a cockpit for driver's safety.
 
I thought the 3+K Helmet will be able to withstand such debris impact. F1 should regulate the use of a cockpit for driver's safety.
even if you do this, it was really a freak accident. a small piece of spring from Barrichellos car(brawn gp) broke off and it just happened to fly into massas path. i was watching and it was really really unlucky, be it a one in a millionth thing happening. and what do you mean by regulate the use of a cockpit. meaning change the design? then how are they supposed to see.??
 
Yes, even power boat racer using cockpit right.

I remember I read somewhere that one F1 driver was answering the same question. I think it was Alonzo. He said that they cannot have something that can crash down on the Driver. He went on to add that the FIA should look carefully into those two incident but must not resort to any changes that will do more harm than good.
 
Cockpit on F1 cars gives better protection to the drivers and also promotes better aerodynamics.
 
I have to say their safety standards have been upped since Aryton Senna's death, the helmet supposedly is much stronger than what racers used 15 years ago. The sides of the cockpit were also raised higher for supposedly more protection.

looking back at the vid, i have to say he's is just very very unlucky to collide with that spring given the probability (the size of the spring vs the area of the driver exposure).

i mean, despite all the protective gear around the driver, freak accidents do happen. For example, take a look at Henry Surtees death. Very untimely and unexpected. Out of all the space, the tyre just have to land on his helmet.

it's really a freak accident but i hope the governing body should have let teams do intensive pre-season tests throughly to prevent the posibility of accidents (loose springs and such) like so.

Felipe, we're behind you and we hope you a speedy recovery!

Forza Felipe Siamo Con Te!
 
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Cockpit on F1 cars gives better protection to the drivers and also promotes better aerodynamics.

Will it? hehe maybe that is why drivers don't like the cockpit. Too much advantage hehe.

In any case I do hope Felipe will get well soon. It takes time for any kind of body trauma to heal and for you to be back 100%, let alone Head trauma.

If there is one thing we have learned from this. HELMET SAVES LIVES! Heck if it can save a person hit by the head by a steel suspension spring while driving an F1 car at 200kpmh. It can surely save us while we ride our puny motorcycles.
 
The spring itself actually poses no significant threat. but it is the speed that Massa travels at that hurts him. Massa easily goes at 120mph odds, the impact of the collision at that speed is then life-threating. A fighter pilot who travels at Mach speed can get sliced just by a leaf, simply due to the relativity of the person and the object... Poor Massa :( speedy recovery

Now Ferrari down with the driver, I think Schumacher will step up?
 
I think it's just a freak accident. I watched the video and there isn't much precaution that you can take to prevent a spring from flying out of a car except for the teams to ensure that the car is well maintained. But in this case, it was a suspension failure on the brawnGP car and there was no way anyone could have foresee it coming until it actually happens. Plus, with all the improvements on the car from the past, the damage has probably been reduced. Think about it this way, if the car was not improved on, the car would have broken up into pieces upon the crash into the tyre barriers at the speed he was travelling. But what are the chances of a spring hitting you on the head considering the land area you're on...

As for the cockpit issue, I don't think its feasible, there are cases in speedboating where the pilot of the boat drowns as there was difficulty in unlocking the hatch after a crash due to the hatch going out of shape due to the impact of a crash. In F1 I think its even harder as reaching the driver asap is impt. Hope Massa recovers soon and and the eye injury is not too bad so he can race again.
 
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Yes. The eye injury is the most treatening injury for massa's carrer. Yes I really do hope he recovers. It's still too early for him to retire, and if he is force to retire due to injuries. It's heartbreaking.

About the replacement. I have also read that a schumacher (did I spell is right) representative said that he will not replace masa.

But of course it's too early to really say never right?
 
I thought the 3+K Helmet will be able to withstand such debris impact. F1 should regulate the use of a cockpit for driver's safety.

i don't think a cockpit would be a viable idea....what if the driver needs to get out QUICK? ._.
 
But of course it's too early to really say never right?


What did I say Huh? What did I say? :mrgreen::mrgreen:

Schumacher makes sensational return to F1
AFP
AFP - Thursday, July 30


ROME (AFP) - - Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher is making a sensational return to Formula One, Ferrari announced on Wednesday.


The German motor racing legend, who retired in 2006, will replace injured Felipe Massa in the European Grand Prix in Valencia on August 23, and possibly for the remainder of the season.

"The Ferrari-Marlboro team plans to give Michael Schumacher Felipe Massa's car until the Brazilian returns to competition," Ferrari announced in a statement on its website carried by Italian news agency ANSA.

The statement added: "Michael Schumacher says he is available and in the coming days he will pursue a specific programme of preparation at the end of which it will be possible to confirm his participation in the European Grand Prix."

Schumacher, 40, commented: "Ultimately I like challenges and this is a great challenge."

"The important thing is that Massa gets better," he continued, adding that he "just wanted to help the firm (Ferrari) when they needed it".

Schumacher's return was arranged at a meeting between him and Ferrari president Luca di Montezamolo at Ferrari's headquarters at Maranello on Wednesday morning, ANSA reported.

News of his comeback to the sport he virtually made his own came 24 hours after the possibility had first been raised by his spokeswoman, Sabine Kehm.

"The whole thing will be considered by Ferrari. If they approach Michael, then he will consider it," Kehm had told BBC Sport.

She added: "Usually, I would say he's not interested because he's fine with his life and he doesn't miss anything but now the situation is so different - it's very hypothetical - and Michael doesn't want to step into that (discussion)."

Schumacher, who is on Ferrari's pay roll as an advisor, will be filling in for Massa, who is recovering from surgery following his horrific high speed crash in qualifying for last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.

Only this month he had made it clear speaking at the German Grand Prix that he was not interested in making a full time comeback.

But the offer of a temporary return to the Ferrari cockpit obviosuly proved too much to resist for 'Schumi' who has recovered from a neck injury sustained in a motorcycle accident in February.
 
I think it will be interesting to watch for the remaining races in the season. But I think it might be abit too early to say that he will win races like how he used to before he retired. He has not touched a F1 car since 2008, not to mention tried the 2009 cars which is in use now since in-season testing of cars are ban this year. And I think the feel of the car would be diff with the KERS and treadless tyres as compared to when he was racing. But once he gets familiar, there might be a chance to see some fantastic driving from him..

Go Schumacher!!!
 
Hell yeah!! And burn rubber Schumi will!!

I loved Schumi when he was the world's best! I used to watch all the races. WOO! I stopped when he retired. And yeah, Ralph Schumacher was no where close to his bro's standard.

I'm glad Massa is on the road to recovery. He doesn't remember anything that happened that fateful day. That might be a good thing for him, I guess.

YAY! Schumi for Ferrari again!! Can't wait! :mrgreen:
 

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