Country Life In The City

Felipe Massa is to start fitness testing and driving an F1 car for the first time since his high speed accident in Hungary in July.  The Ferrari team have said it is not impossible, but very unlikely that he will be back racing for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in four weeks time.

Masse has just signed for 2010 with Ferrari, along with Fernando Alonso. He is due to test a GP2 Series car today and subsequently a 2 yr old F1 car fitted with GP2 tyres to circumvent the in-season F1 testing ban. He has already used the team’s state-of-the-art simulator to assess his reactions. He will undergo a fortnight of training and assessment before a final decision is made as to when his come back will be, but it is most likely to be in Bahraine in 2010.

Some sources have indicated that Masse is very keen to race in Abu Dhabi if he gets the all clear from FIA doctors in Paris. He has no brain trauma and his eyesight is 100% according to James Allen ITV-F1 commentator.

Closer to home, James Toseland is to head back to British Superbikes next year with Ben Spies replacing him in the Tech 3 garage next to Colin Edwards. There seems to be some concern about the lack of British riders in the elite Moto GP class with very few coming through compared to the numbers of Italian and Spanish riders for example.

For many motorcyclists, the end of the rideout sw season is upon us with the end of summer. Motorbikes are being put to bed in garages, stripped and cleaned with batteries put on trickle chargers. Some motorcyclists do ride all year round, but its not much fun.