Felipe Massa returned to the race track for the first time publicly in Brazil yesterday.

The Brazilian ace drove a few laps at a kart circuit in his native Sao Paulo wearing his red Ferrari overalls.

The 28-year-old has been recovering since fracturing his skull in an accident at the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 25.

He was hit by a suspension spring weighing nearly a kilo from fellow countryman Rubens Barrichello’s car while doing nearly 200mph in qualifying.

Massa blacked out momentarily before his car crashed heavily and was later put in an induced coma to reduce further trauma.

Last month Massa underwent more surgery to have a titanium plate inserted in his skull by surgeons.

Brazilian media reported he had tested a kart privately on Monday.

Massa has said he wants to race again this season, either in one of the two races after Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix.

The first is his home event and it is followed a fortnight later by the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi.

Privately it is thought he will not be back again this season.

But Ferrari have kept his seat open for 2010.

If he recovers his health and his speed sufficiently he will partner Fernando Alonso, whose signing to Maranello is expected to be announced either Thursday or Friday at Suzuka ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.

Ferrari have been far from happy with the commitment of the 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen and in the next few days it will be announced he is leaving the team to return to his former bosses at McLaren for 2010.

Ferrari are sufficiently disenchanted with Raikkonen and keen to sign Alonso they are even going to pay his salary at McLaren while he is racing against them.