Felipe Massa cleared to test drive Ferrari, part of comeback from life-threatening crash
By APSunday, October 4, 2009
Massa to test drive Ferrari as part of recovery
SUZUKA, Japan — Ferrari driver Felipe Massa received permission from motor racing’s governing body to test one of its cars.
The Formula One team got permission on Sunday.
It’s another step in the comeback for the Brazilian, who is recovering from a life-threatening accident. He was knocked unconscious by a loose car part during qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix in July and crashed into a safety barrier.
Massa has since been sidelined from F1, but did race a go-kart last week in Brazil.
In-season testing is banned in F1 as a cost-cutting measure. But Ferrari received conditional approval from FIA for Massa to test an earlier-model car, using no parts from the F60 model used this season.
Massa is expected to use a Ferrari race simulator in the coming week.
