Massa 'Not In Danger' Amid Eye Wound Fears
Breaking News - 1:09pm UK, Monday July 27, 2009

Felipe Massa's life is no longer in danger - but an eye injury the Formula 1 driver sustained in a crash could affect his racing future, a doctor has said.

A spring from Ruben Barrichello's Brawn GP car bounced into the Ferrari driver's helmet as he reached speeds of about 190kmph (120mph) during qualifying circuits on Saturday.

The impact before the Hungarian Grand Prix concussed the 28-year-old, who then ploughed into a protective tyre barrier.

Robert Veres, the doctor who performed surgery on the driver, said he was stable and remained sedated "to protect his brain".

Ferrari Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa drives during a qualification session for the Hungarian F1 Grand Prix

The doctor continued that Massa had suffered damage to his left eye but he did not "know the quality of this damage".

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemelo said Ferrari's first priority was Massa's health.

But the Italian team does not "want to wait too long" to decide on finding a driving replacement, he added.

Doctors had induced a coma at the AEK hospital in Budapest, Hungary, after the operation.

Later, Hungarian defence ministry spokesman Istvan Bocskai revealed Massa, who was not yet speaking, had been reacting when spoken to and was moving his hands and feet.

An investigation into the causes and repercussions of the accident has been launched.

Felipe Massa is lifted into an ambulance after his crash during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix

The probe will be conducted by the sport's ruling body, the International Motoring Federation, with the Brawn GP team.

Massa suffered multiple skull and eye injuries. The debris hit his helmet just above his left eye at around 275kph.

His carbon-fibre helmet absorbed most of the energy from the spring and appeared to save his life.

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By Paul Gittings
CNN) -- Felipe Massa has been woken successfully three times to make contact with his family, one of the surgeons who operated on the Brazilian Formula One star told CNN on Monday, after a horror crash in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix left the driver needing surgery on a fractured skull.
Felipe Massa

Peter Bazso, the medical director of the AEK hospital in Budapest, confirmed that Massa's injuries had been "life-threatening" after he careered off the Hungaroring at 200kph in his Ferrari, but that his condition was now "slightly improving."

Bazso told CNN said he had watched the accident on television and his team, who specialize in brain injuries, was immediately put on standby to operate as Massa was airlifted to his hospital. Does safety need to be improved in Formula One?

Massa was hit on the helmet by a spring which had fallen off the rear of the Brawn GP car of compatriot Rubens Barichello.

The impact left Massa concussed and he lost control of his Ferrari on the high speed Turn Four before ploughing into a tire barrier.

Bazko and his team performed a two-hour emergency operation shortly after Massa arrived at the hospital, which also caters for the Hungarian military.

He remains in a medically-induced coma in intensive care but Bazso said there were good signs of a recovery.

"We tried to wake him up three times so he could make contact with his family and each time we were successful," he said.

Massa's parents and his pregnant wife Anna Rafaela flew to Hungary to be at his bedside after the accident.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo told their official Web site that he would be visiting the hospital on Monday to check on his driver's condition and paid tribute to his teammate Kimi Raikkonen who finished second to Lewis Hamilton in Sunday's race.

"Compliments to Kimi for a great race and to the team, for working well and very concentrated despite these very difficult circumstances."

Meanwhile, Basso added that they hoped to fully bring him out of the coma later today when they would better be able to assess his condition.

"He is definitely not worse, but his injuries were life-threatening," he added.

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