Felipe Massa recovering, Ferrari’s season not so much

A visit from Michael Schumacher in hospital may have raised Felipe Massa’s spirits after the head injury that ruled him out of the season, but after news earlier in the week that Schumacher can’t replace Massa for the Ferrari team, it seems fans of the Italian stallion won’t have much to cheer themselves up with this season.

Schumacher made world headlines a week ago by announcing he wanted to rejoin the Ferrari team with which he won five Formula 1 driver’s championships to replace Massa after the Brazilian’s skull was fractured by a bouncing spring at practice for the Hungary Grand Prix, but it was discovered last Tuesday that new regulations forbade him from doing so.

Instead, it looks like the only drivers allowed to substitute for Massa are the Ferrari test drivers Luca Badoer and Marc Gene, both of whom previously raced unsuccessfully for the Minardi team. It was already a write-off of a season for Ferrari with Brawn GP and Red Bull Racing dominating the points spread at the to of the constructor’s championship.

Massa’s condition has been reported as “continuously improving”.