Massa returns to racing in charity karting event
November 28, 2009
FLORIANOPOLIS, Brazil (AP)—Formula One driver Felipe Massa returned tocompetition for the first time since his life-threatening accident four monthsago, finishing third in a charity karting event won by Michael Schumacher onSaturday.
Massa was competing in the International Challenge of the Stars race insouthern Brazil, an event he was hosting for the fifth straight year to aidlocal charities.
“It was a great return to racing,” said Massa, who started in 11th place.“I felt 100 percent and I’m ready for the next one. I wish I could’ve won therace, but it was a victory to come from the back and finish where I finished.”
It was the first time Massa had raced since sustaining multiple skullfractures in a crash during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 25.The Ferrari driver missed the rest of the season but will be back in F1 nextyear.
Schumacher, Massa’s former teammate at Ferrari, started from sixth place andwas running third until the final laps of the 30-minute race. But Indy RacingLeague driver Vitor Meira and F1 driver Vitantonio Liuzzi touched their kartswhile fighting for the lead, allowing Schumacher to easily move past them andwin.
Schumacher, the event winner in 2007, also clocked the best lap at the newtrack designed by Massa and Renault test driver Lucas Di Grassi, who finishedfourth. Liuzzi was second and Meira fifth.
Nelson Piquet Jr., involved in an F1 scandal after crashing on purpose inlast year’s Singapore GP to help former Renault teammate Fernando Alonso win therace, started from the pole. He led most of the race before an engine problemleft him ninth in the 25-driver event.
F1 driver Rubens Barrichello finished sixth and IRL’s Tony Kanaan wasseventh.
Another race will be held at the same track Sunday, and an overall winnerwill be crowned with points added after both races.
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