Monza return ruled out for recovering Felipe Massa

Felipe Massa could race again for Ferrari before the end of the current season, but there is no prospect of his making an emotional return to the cockpit in time for next month's Italian grand prix at Monza.

"It would be a fantastic and terrific surprise if Felipe was able to race again before the end of the season," said a Ferrari spokesman yesterday after the team's sporting director, Stefano Domenicali, returned to Italy after a hectic day trip to São Paulo, where the Brazilian driver is recovering from the serious head injuries he suffered during qualifying for last month's Hungarian grand prix.

"Felipe is in excellent form and his recovery is going very well," said Domenicali. "I am very happy about Felipe's state. The medical checks, which have been carried out over the past two weeks, continue to be very encouraging. But now it is important to be patient and take one step at a time, without any hurry."

Massa says he is not far from a full recovery and is aiming to return to racing at the Brazilian grand prix in October.

He said in an interview with Globo TV last Sunday that he hopes to race again at his home grand prix on 18 October, but that it will depend on results from the weekly tests he is undergoing. Massa said his left eye "is not 100% yet" after the crash.