Felipe Massa Will Be Back at Bahrain Grand Prix

Just the Facts:

• Felipe Massa will make his F1 comeback at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
• Massa missed the second half of last season following an accident in Hungary.
• The Bahrain race opens the F1 season and marks the series' 60th anniversary.

MARANELLO, Italy — One of the emotional high points of this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix will be the return to action of Felipe Massa, the Ferrari Formula 1 driver who missed out on the second half of last season after a near death experience during qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Bahrain Grand Prix, which features a new lengthened track layout, marks the start of the 2010 Formula 1 World Championship and the 60th anniversary of Formula 1.

In a recent interview with Italy's Corriere della Sera, Massa said, "I'm concentrated. I'm ready 100 percent."

The interviewer asked him: "Don't you think that if one race goes wrong they'll say that you're not the old Felipe?"

"Someone might say that," Massa, 28, replied. "I'm expecting that and I'm not worried. Not worried at all."

Racing observers say one noteworthy feature of the Bahrain International Circuit is dust blowing in from the desert, which coats the track. The dust can make the opening laps of the race particularly hazardous.

On Wednesday, Ferrari issued a statement about Massa, saying that "the Brazilian might not have been racing since last summer, but his contact with the team has been constant throughout that period."

In Massa's devastating accident during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix last July, a spring dropped off another car and bounced along the track before hitting Massa in his head at a high speed. He injured his left eye, chipped his skull and now has a metal plate in his forehead following surgery after the crash. During his recuperation, the International Herald Tribune described Massa's ordeal as "one of the trickiest in decades."

Last year, the Italian team had its worst run of results since 1993, finishing 4th in the constructors' standings after only one victory. The dismal year was marked by Massa's crash and the disappointing performance of his replacement, Luca Badoer. Badoer placed last in the two GPs he raced before Giancarlo Fisichella was signed, with Fisichella remaining this season as a reserve driver.

Inside Line says: All eyes will be on Massa this weekend to see whether he can truly bounce back completely from his major injury. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent