Ferrari Gives Felipe Massa a "Special Christmas Present"

MARANELLO, Italy — Ferrari announced on Sunday that injured F1 driver Felipe Massa will be back on a racetrack at the Mugello circuit this week to drive a Formula 1 car, another step forward in his long recovery from a devastating crash last July.

The announcement was made with a certain amount of whimsy. Ferrari said Massa had asked for a "special Christmas present" during holiday festivities here. Those festivities included Massa dressing up in a Santa Claus costume and posing for pictures with Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo.

"In the next few days, the Brazilian [Massa] will be back on a racetrack at the Mugello circuit to drive a Formula 1 car," Ferrari said in a statement. "But it won't be the F60, which he last drove at Valencia at the World Finals. Instead, he will drive an F2007, fitted with demonstration run tires, with backup from the Corse Clienti Department. The exact date for Felipe to do this has not yet been fixed, as the weather forecast for the Mugello area is very unsettled and it definitely will not happen tomorrow."

Massa, who noted that "it's the first time I've dressed up as Father Christmas," also said "I wanted to jump into a Formula 1 car before the end of the year."

While a touch silly, the images and announcement underscored the tremendous progress made by Massa since he suffered eye and head injuries in July during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. He is expected to compete in the 2010 F1 season.

Inside Line says: Whoever thought that Massa's long road back to good health would include a stop at the North Pole? — Anita Lienert, Correspondent