This past weekend saw a heavy crash at the Hungarian Grand Prix in qualifying. Ferrari's Felipe Massa was hit by a errant spring that came off the Brawn F1 of fellow Brazillian Rubens Barichello. The 1.5 lb. spring was bouncing on the track and unfortunately was struck by Massa's F60 as it streaked by at full throttle.

Looking at the in-car camera video, you can see that the impact knocked Massa out, but he still managed to lock up the brakes before hitting a tire wall. The left side of his helmet, just above the eyeport, was cracked and damaged. Massa was removed from the car and airlifted to the hospital with a skull fracture, eye damage and tramatic brain injury.

Emergency surgery seems to have stabilized his condition, but I doubt he'll be able to race any longer this season. For a competitor who came with one point of winning the F! driving title last season, it's a terribly bitter pill. From one racer to another, I'm sending Felipe Massa best wishes for a full and complete recovery!

The latest news is that Massa left the hospital today and should be home in Brazil tonight. There, he'll continue his recovery and chances are good that he'll be back. In 2009? Maybe not, but Ferrari says his seat there is secure until 2010. In the meantime, I was surprised and delighted to see Michael Schumacher take up the challenge and return in Massa's spot for the time being. To have Scumi paired with Raikonnen should be a strong driving team, but the Ferrari F60 remains an also-ran in the '09 races.