Ferrari driver Felipe Massa returned Monday to a competitive
Formula One car for the first time since a life-threatening crash
last summer and promptly set the fastest time in the season's debut
test session.
Massa led the seven-car field with a best lap time of 1
minute, 12.574 seconds from 102 laps at Valencia's Cheste Circuit.
That left him just over two-tenths of a second faster than Pedro De
la Rosa of Sauber.
Massa said he felt "zero afraid" as he returned for the first
time since undergoing lifesaving surgery following a freak crash at
the Hungarian Grand Prix in August.
"For sure (I'm) happy to be back after such a long time
watching the race on television and sometimes on the track," Massa
said. "I'm very good on the physical point-of-view. I did 100 laps
but I could have done much more."
Massa said Budapest never entered his thoughts as his
competitive spirit was nourished for the first time in six months.
"It's always nice to be first whatever occasion," the
28-year-old Brazilian said. "After the difficult time I had, it's
always nice to go back on the track, (to be) competitive. For me,
everything was normal."
Except for seeing former teammate Michael Schumacher in the
silver Mercedes GP car.
"It's a little bit strange but we will get used to it," said
Massa, who was just under four-tenths of a second faster than
Schumacher, who returned from a three-year retirement to finish
third. "It was nice, it was fun. We also had a nice moment, I was
passing him and we waived at each other."
Massa has driven several older model Ferraris since late last
year but Monday's outing was his first in the new F10 car. The test
session left him pleased with the Italian team's offseason work.
"It was a very positive day, the car behaves very well,"
Massa said. "The car behaved in the right direction, it was an
easier car to drive compared to last year. Last year it was always
difficult to find the direction, the balance.
"But it's not enough, there's still a lot of work, a lot to
improve the car to the first race (at Bahrain)."
A poor campaign last season led Ferrari to focus on 2010
earlier than usual as it aim to compete for the title this time
around. The Italians finished fourth in the constructors' standings
with a single victory from former driver Kimi Raikkonen at Spa.
Massa will drive again Tuesday before making way for new
teammate Fernando Alonso on Wednesday.
Nico Rosberg of Mercedes was fourth - just under one second
back of Massa - while McLaren test driver Gary Paffett rounded out
the top-five.
Rubens Barrichello of Williams was sixth ahead of Toro
Rosso's Sebastien Buemi - who ran only 18 laps due to a gearbox
problem - and Robert Kubica of Renault.
