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Felipe Massa was back behind the wheel of the Ferrari F60 on Sunday, his first outing in the team’s 2009 machine since his life-threatening crash at the Hungarian Grand Prix meeting back in July. Massa wowed the crowds at Spain’s Valencia circuit, where Ferrari were celebrating the end of their motorsport season with the annual Ferrari World Finals.

It may not have been his first time back in an F1 car - he tested an older machine at Ferrari’s Fiorano test track last month - but it was a very special day for the Brazilian, back in front of his beloved fans less than four months after his skull was fractured by a loose spring from a rival car.

“I am very happy to be here, that I can work with the team,” said Massa. “It’s true that I’ve been with them in Sao Paulo and in Abu Dhabi, but driving is really extraordinary! Today I also want to thank all the fans, who were really close to me over the last months. The messages I received were wonderful.”

Massa drove around 20 laps, first with his test driver team mates Marc Gene, Giancarlo Fisichella and Luca Badoer and later on, after a couple of pit stops, alone - an experience he described as almost as good as a race win.

After travelling back to his home country of Brazil on Monday, Brawn GP’s Rubens Barrichello has wasted no time in catching up with friend Felipe Massa. Barrichello visited Massa’s home on Wednesday, as his fellow Brazilian continues to recuperate from the fractured skull he sustained during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Updating his official Twitter page, Barrichello said: “I have spent the afternoon with Felipe. He is fine and exactly the same person as before…thank God. I loved the afternoon, he was so well and in good spirits. On Felipe’s comeback we need to be patient. He has to be 100 percent before he drives again.”

Although Massa has been making a remarkable recovery from his injuries, no official date has been set for his return to the track, with personal doctor Dino Altman explaining last week that he’ll need time to ‘calmly convalesce’. Ferrari tester Luca Badoer is to fill in for the 28 year-old at next weekend’s European Grand Prix.

See even more info/updates at www.formula1.com and follow F1 and other racing series every day at www.carracing.com.

With Felipe Massa injured in Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday and likely to be sidelined for the rest of the 2009 Formula One season, Ferrari must find a replacement driver in time for the next race in Valencia, Spain on Aug. 23. Insiders say that former world champions Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso are tops on the list of potential candidates.

A source close to the team confirmed that Alonso is not an impossible choice. Getting him into the car half a season ahead of schedule will be a big task. But Renault team boss Flavio Briatore may well be tempted by a huge influx of cash.

Meanwhile, Schumacher is available and has retained his ties with Ferrari. F1 commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone will be keen to see him back behind the wheel, if only for half a season, as it would do wonders for TV ratings and provide a massive boost for the promoters of the last seven races. Schumacher would also be a big morale booster for the team and obviously provide valuable feedback.