Interesting to note that the car did downshift several gears apparently on its own as he straightlined across the track and into the tires. Might have saved him much worse injuries.

I really hope massa is able to lead a normal life, his racing carreer could definately be over from this, being in an induced coma is NOT good news.........
Being hit in the head by a 2lb spring at 170mph is not something which should be taken lightly.........

Any questions read my signature and do a search.......even if he leaves the hospital he won't be healed for years....

Strange how these things frequently happen in pairs/threes. Take the weekend that Senna and Ratzenberger were killed (and Barrichello had the worst crash of his career) for example. Now, we have this incident with Massa, right on the heels of the death of 18 y.o. Henry Surtees (son of John Surtees) last week at Brands Hatch. The incident was eerily similar, and involved an arrant wheel from another car striking him in the head.

I'm sure he'll be OK.
Remember Mika Hakkinen? He had a big accident in Adelaide in 1995 and ended up with serious head injuries and in an induced coma. He was perfectly normal afterwards, for a Fin at least. He went on to become a double World Champion.

Look at the video from that and remember that this was before the Hans device...

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I'm really glad that the news is better than it was this afternoon. For some reason The Dish only recorded 8 min of qualifying, so I never saw it, but I saw a terrifying crawl on ESPN, and I feared the worst.

It is looking better for Massa at least from a life threatening point of view, I hope he is able to resume his life as it was before, but obviously no one can know what is going to happen going forward.

A totally freak accident, for sure; and coming on the heels of the Surtees crash, I certainly hope that the race is free from this kind of drama (indeed, I hope that all race events around the world go off well tomorrow) because as many have mentioned, this stuff can happen in threes.

Get Well Soon, Felipe. You have a new baby on the way. He needs you.

Don't forget about the Karl Wendlinger crash, the same weekend (or was it the next?) that Senna died. I don't think Wendlinger ever drove at the highest levels again.

Wow, is that a creepy pic or what? The close up of his face after being taken out of his car. His left eye looks he's passed. :(

I hope he is better soon and able to continue his racing.

I don't wish him ill, but that statement is pure polyanna(ish). Head injuries are funny things and can result in very sudden demise (remember Liam Neeson's wife Natasha Richardson?) I wonder what Barrichello is saying to himself.

The stewards better take a very close look at the Brawn cars to make sure it can't happen again.

Actually, that was (ironically) Barrichello that crashed that weekend as well. His crash had all the makings for being a really bad one. Luckily it was not.

an update on massa....


BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP)—Ferrari driver Felipe Massa remained in “life-threatening” but stable condition on Sunday following surgery on multiple skull fractures.

Peter Bazso, the AEK hospital medical director, told reporters that Massa would be kept 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,” procedures required to treat Massa’s “an open skull fracture and a contusion.”

He did not speculate 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 at the hospital Sunday 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.

The spring from Rubens 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 plowed into the protective tire barrier.

Massa, who finished runner-up to Lewis Hamilton in the F1 championship last year, underwent surgery around 4:20 p.m. local time Saturday, about an hour after being airlifted to the hospital. He was conscious at the time.

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 gash in its side. Blood was seen on Massa’s left brow.

The crash came less than a week after Henry Surtees, the son of former F1 champion John Surtees, died in similar circumstances 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.

Governing body FIA was expected to launch an investigation into the crash after several drivers and team principals called for safety measures to be re-examined.

No F1 driver has died on the track since three-time champion and fellow Brazilian Ayrton Senna’s crash at Imola 15 years ago.

AP Auto Racing Writer Paul Logothetis contributed to this report.

Barichello's crash was one of the most horrific looking ones I've ever seen:

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That Barrichello crash was certainly scary looking initially, but you have a number of mitigating factors, actual speed into the barrier, angle, the crush/decel of components outside of the tub, the fence (which really distributes/slows decel) etc. Massa is in a much different situation. Plus the brain is a very fragile organ sloshing around in a bag (meninges) in a box (skull).

Anyway, Massa's noodle was almost directly affected. If he pulls through (and I think he should live) he is so lucky that the thing didn't impact his visor more than his helmet. He may never drive again however.:(

I hope he pulls through just for his unborn childs sake.......being able to drive again is an afterthought.....

Once again we are reminded that F1 and indeed most auto racing can be a dangerous sport.
Godspeed Felipe.

Slideshow of Massa:

http://www.planetf1.com/Gallery_Detail/0,17732,3524_5474111_1,00.html

Bump.

Nothing!

Pictures of Massa leaving the hospital in the link above.