Felipe Massa leaves hospital in Hungary, flies home to Brazil

Massa leaves hospital in Hungary, on his way home

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Ferrari driver Felipe Massa is heading home to Brazil, nine days after a life-threatening crash during qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Massa was expected to arrive in Sao Paulo on Monday evening, accompanied on a private jet by wife Raffaela, who six months pregnant with their first child, and family doctor Dino Altman.

“Many things have happened over the last days and I want to get back to a normal life,” Massa said on Ferrari’s Web site. “I want to get back into the best possible condition, doing things you do every day.”

Massa said he was feeling well aside from swelling around his damaged left eye. He will be transported by helicopter from the Sao Paulo airport to a hospital. He is expected to have further tests there and likely stay about two days before returning home.

The 28-year-old driver underwent surgery on multiple skull fractures at the AEK hospital after he was hit in the helmet by a loose part from another car and crashed into a tire barrier Aug. 25.

He will be replaced at Ferrari by record seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, who visited Massa on Saturday at his Budapest hospital and is coming out of retirement to race.

“Michael doesn’t need my advice,” Massa said. “It was him who gave me many tips during my career when we were racing together. He knows how to win, he knows how to drive and he’s great.

“It was the best choice handing over the car to such a fantastic person and I’m sure that everybody will be happy to see him back on the track again — although I hope I’ll be back on the track with Ferrari as soon as possible.”