Michael Schumacher returned to the wheel of a Formula One car on Friday when he tested a 2007 Ferrari in the first step of his comeback. The seven-time world champion is poised to fill in for injured Ferrari driver Felipe Massa at the European Grand Prix in Valencia on Aug. 23 and will continue to race until the Brazilian is able to return. The 40-year-old, who retired at the end of 2006, drove 67 laps at the Mugello track near Florence. “It's a great thing getting back on the track with an F1 even if this was a car from 2007,” he told www.ferrari.com. “After a couple of laps I was able to drive constant lap times and I'm happy with the performance.” Massa leaving hospital Injured Formula One driver Felipe Massa, meanwhile, is doing “very well” and will be flown back to Brazil on Monday, his personal physician said on Friday. “Felipe continues to improve. He is doing very well and we already decided to go back home (Brazil) on Monday,” physician Dino Altmann told reporters in front of Budapest's AEK military hospital. “I think this decision says all you need to know (about his condition),” he added. Altmann said Massa, last year's championship runnerup, needs rest and the plan is that he will return to Formula One but no timetable has yet been set. Massa, 28, fractured his skull in an accident during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
