“No person ever advised me I wasn’t the identical”: Felipe Massa on his conclude to-deadly 2009 accident

This Thursday marks the 15th anniversary of the accident that significantly injured Felipe Massa in 2009. In some unspecified time in the future of qualifying for that 300 and sixty five days’s System 1 Hungarian Mammoth Prix, the Brazilian was as soon as hit at high inch by a spring that had serene from Rubens Barrichello‘s Brawn. As well to the Brazilian’s accident, that inch was as soon as also marked by a chain of well-known occasions. Files and private milestones were broken in Budapest in 2009. On the different hand, it was as soon as all overshadowed by Massa’s accident.

In an outlandish interview with Motorsport Brasil, Massa spoke about the drama he experienced on the time and highlighted the factors in the lend a hand of his return—and the difficulties of getting lend a hand in the lend a hand of the wheel of the Ferrari.

Portray by: Sutton Photography

The backstory

The 2008 season had ended on a high for Massa—the Brazilian had won the final inch of the 300 and sixty five days, in Brazil, and for a pair of brief moments had the driver’s title in his fingers. On the different hand, Timo Glock slipped in the rain in the final corners of Interlagos and was as soon as overtaken by Lewis Hamilton, who accomplished fifth and won (or, as Massa contends, was as soon as improperly given) the 2008 driver’s title by a single point.

In 2009, F1 underwent profound modifications and the high teams fell in the lend a hand of the ravishing Brawn GP and an emerging Red Bull. Over the course of the 300 and sixty five days, Ferrari and McLaren recovered. Excellent as the Italian crew was as soon as about to shine again, Massa suffered the accident in Budapest.

In some unspecified time in the future of qualifying for the Hungarian Mammoth Prix, a spring serene from Rubens Barrichello’s car and, after bouncing along the tune, hit Massa’s helmet at over 250 km/h. Massa went into shock and lost consciousness instantly. The auto went straight thru a nook and crashed into the tire barrier.

Massa was as soon as taken by helicopter to Budapest’s navy hospital, the assign he bought remedy, the assign he spent nine days—two in an induced coma—and underwent two operations. After being discharged, he underwent extra plastic surgical diagram to enhance the rental of his cranium that had been hit by the spring. He would creep away out the leisure of the 2009 season (returning in 2010), and the accident would pressure a security push that ended in the adoption of the halo on most modern F1 vehicles. 

Lifestyles goes on

In attempting lend a hand on that day 15 years in the past, Massa tells Motorsport, “I’m very grateful that it was as soon as my day, thank God.” The commentary can even come as a surprise.

“Plenty of folks issue it was as soon as unlucky, nonetheless I judge that, whereas you survey at what took web site…on the one hand, I was as soon as unlucky, since the spring ended up appropriate in my head. But I was as soon as also very lucky, because this day I’m here residing my life, in immense smartly being, and I’m jubilant to like my family.”

Massa disregarded the self-discipline as off-limits for him or his family. “The oldsters closest to me—Rafaela [his wife], my fogeys, brothers, and friends—suffered worthy greater than I did. They saw the accident and I did now not survey the relaxation that took web site. Rafaela was as soon as six months pregnant with Felipinho, so he did now not survey the relaxation both,” acknowledged Massa. “But here is now not a taboo self-discipline in the family.”

“We thank God loads because I’m aloof here, residing with them,” says Massa. “I’m Catholic and I pray on each day foundation, inquiring for smartly being for me and my family. Even though I don’t creep to church very typically, at any time as soon as I’m going by I’m going in and light a candle to present thanks.”

The Ferrari F60 of Felipe Massa is returned to the pits

Portray by: Motorsport Photography

Asked if, after the accident, anyone advised him that he was as soon as no longer the identical as sooner than, Massa denies it—pointing out that essentially the most acid criticism got here from the click. He believes that his lack of victories in F1 is now not connected to the accident, nonetheless to the shortcoming of aggressive vehicles.

“No person ever advised me I wasn’t the identical. Pointless to issue I was as soon as criticized loads in the click, because after my accident I never won one more inch in F1. But I got here conclude quite a lot of occasions.

“Unfortunately I was as soon as denied victory in Germany, in the inch that took web site exactly one 300 and sixty five days after my accident, on July 25, 2010. That was as soon as one in every of the saddest days of my life. After that, I experienced a a quantity of interval, because I no longer had a aggressive car to compete for victories as I did sooner than.

“I assign now not feel that the relaxation has modified, in the sense of how I was as soon as sooner than and how I am this day. What I will issue is that this day I respect life worthy more—both my have and a quantity of folks’s. On yarn of you never judge the relaxation is going to happen, nonetheless when it does, you price life worthy more. I price mine one-hundred percent, and I’m grateful for it on each day foundation.”

“And I hope I aloof like different ground prior to me to proceed playing my life and riding, which is what I love to attain,” says the Brazilian. “But with different protection and smartly being, which is the finest factor.”