Felipe Massa on his near-fatal crash

Exclusive In his first interview since the accident that left him in a coma, the Ferrari driver insists he will return more determined than ever to win a world titleFelipe Massa traces the skin around the stitched but still dented wound over his left eye as he smiles gently at a question about the nature of fate. He might feel like one of the luckiest men alive, at home in his glittering apartment in São Paulo on a rainy September afternoon. Yet high in the sky, close to the ominous clouds that shroud this vast and sprawling city, Massa could brood equally over the extreme misfortune that saw a flying spring smash into his head at 170mph six weeks ago during a practice lap at the Hungarian grand prix."You need to think about luck in different ways," Massa suggests before pausing. "I was actually very unlucky with the spring in my face," he says. "But I was very lucky as well. Every doctor said the same. If the spring had gone one millimetre to the right I would have lost my sight. One millimetre to the left and who knows? I could have been brain damaged. So I was very lucky. And this is more important because it is my life."His gaze, nearly blinded in Hungary, sweeps from the imposing skyline to the trophies and helmets placed alongside his wife's huge books on fashion and the modern art lining the pristine white walls. Knowing that this apartment will soon be filled with the cries and gurgles of their first child, Massa flashes one of his most engaging grins. He might be talking of an old rival against whom he no longer holds any grudge rather than the hurtling metal that snapped off Rubens Barrichello's car and almost killed him on 25 July. Weighing the same as a small bag of sugar, but careering into his helmet with deadening force, the spring knocked Massa cold at the wheel of his speeding Ferrari. It led to an induced coma with Hungarian surgeons warning that his condition was "critical" and "life-threatening".In contrast to those bleak diagnoses his cheerful mood is obvious as his wife, Rafaela, drifts past. It is an almost giddy experience to hear Massa talking so vividly, to see him looking so strong just days before he re-enters hospital in São Paulo. He now faces another operation to implant a titanium infused plate in his head so that, next season, he will be ready to race again for Ferrari.Yet it is also hard to shake the feeling that Massa remains dangerously consumed by racing. The great drivers, addicted to speed and seemingly inured to fear and risk, are not ordinary men but surely an accident this serious has affected him psychologically? Has he detected even a small change in himself?"No," he says defiantly, before laughing. "Not at all. I remember in hospital when I woke up in the beginning. I had an oxygen mask to help me breathe. All the time I was lifting the mask and putting it here …"Massa points to his head, making a gesture that suggests he turned his oxygen mask into a clown's hat. He shakes his head, as if he cannot believe how blackly comic the scene must have appeared in that hushed hospital room in Budapest. "And then my wife would come and put the mask back over my face. But, straightaway, I would lift it on to my head. I had some friends with us and they were laughing because she kept trying to put it back over my face. And the third time I did it I looked at her and said, 'What a pain in the ass!' Rafaela looked at our friends and said, 'No, he's the same! He's the same!'"He might be blase about his own instinctive reaction to being taken to hospital but Massa reveals how he and Rafaela had been troubled by the death of the British driver Henry Surtees at Brands Hatch, six days before his own accident. It was, again, grimly freakish as a tyre flew off a rival Formula Two car and struck the head of the 18-year-old Surtees.Massa shudders for the first time. "I was very touched by his death. And I told my wife straightaway about the accident of Henry. I said to her, 'Listen, this is what you need to be worried about. This is something you have no control over. It is not like a normal accident.' And then a week after that … [he claps his hands and laughs] … it happened to me. She remembered straightaway what I had said."When I first told her about Henry she was a bit scared. She said, 'It's unbelievable – how did this wheel come away like this?' I said, 'Listen, this is like if you have an accident on the road – if somebody hits you when you least expect it. Like they jump the red light and then hit you.' There's nothing you can do."Massa sent the Surtees family a heartfelt message on the Monday after Henry's death. He smiles ruefully at the irony. "They sent a thank you after my message – but then they sent me a very nice message after my accident."Surtees was tragically unlucky; Massa was more fortunate but he believes the coincidence of two outlandish accidents is a warning. "We need to look for improvements. I'm not saying we need to cover [the cockpit] completely. But maybe there are some other things we can do to the car to stop a wheel hitting your head. When I come back this is something I want to discuss with Charlie Whiting [Formula One's race director], the FIA and the drivers – because we all need to work together."Massa is even more thoughtful when describing the terrible ordeal endured by his family. "It was much more difficult for them than me. When my wife saw the accident on television the first thing she did was put the volume down, completely, because she didn't want to hear anything. She was already calling my secretary to organise the flight – because she knew it was bad. Rafaela knows if I stay in the car after an accident it is strange. I always try to show some sign. She was very scared but, organising the flight, her adrenaline was so high. When she got to the airport, and heard I was in surgery, she was crying like crazy then. She couldn't stop."Rafaela was joined by Massa's parents and, alongside his Brazilian doctor, Dino Altman, they flew to Budapest. "My father, he is a man, and at least he did some racing. He has an understanding that allows him to think differently. But my mother was so bad. My mother never watches the start of my races – because she fears for me."Despite his astonishingly rapid recovery his family are besieged by anxiety as he prepares to return next year to the grid. Massa, in contrast, burns with conviction. "Of course," he smiles. "It is my life."For me, the worst thing that happened was not being able to race. If you can't drive that's terrible. But my wife has already asked me, at least 10 times, 'Are you sure you don't feel any doubts or worries?' Always, I say, 'No – because this is what I like to do.' If I don't drive then I am not the same person. Ever since I was a small boy this is my life. This is what I like to do. So I really hope, and expect, nothing will change inside of me when I go back into the car and start pushing myself to the maximum again."Has there not been a single day, even an hour, in which he has hesitated? "No. For my family it was very difficult because they followed everything and went through a lot. But for me it was less than that. As soon as it happened I was unconscious and three days later I woke up. In hospital I saw nothing of the accident. It was just Hungarian television channels. I only heard what they said happened to me. And for me this was strange – can a spring from another car really do this to a bone in my head?"I first saw it when I got home on television – just like you. But I had other accidents that disturbed me a lot more. When I lost the brakes in Monaco in 2002 it was a huge crash. And I crashed twice in Barcelona because I had a problem with my suspension – and that was an accident that made me think. But this accident in Hungary is like something I never even saw. So my wife was only asking gentle questions, like, 'You don't think maybe â€¦ ?' And I say, 'No, I am racing again.' My mother also knows me a lot. Sometimes she is looking at me and thinking but she knows not to ask."The extent to which Massa has missed competing is illustrated by his reaction to the first race after the Hungarian grand prix – when he yearned to drive at Valencia. "It was very difficult. I watched it here on TV with my computer on my lap so that I could check the lap times. There is a five-hour time difference so I wake at five in the morning to watch the practice on Friday."Even Massa looks briefly stunned by his own fervour so soon after the coma. "Unbelievable," he murmurs.If it was down to him, rather than his doctors, Massa would make his return in this season's penultimate race – at his home grand prix in Brazil, at Interlagos, not far from where he lives. There are three races before then, with the next grand prix on Sunday at Monza. Massa dutifully welcomes the arrival of Giancarlo Fisichella as his latest temporary replacement and suggests the Italian can help Ferrari in pursuit of third place in the constructors' championship."But it will be much worse when I have to watch the race in Brazil. That was the race I wanted to come back in but it's difficult to say if it would've been possible."Will he be at Interlagos, despite his pain at missing a race he won last year – only to lose the drivers' championship by a single point when Lewis Hamilton secured fifth place on the very last corner of the season? "It will be difficult to watch it," he concedes, "but I will be there."Last week Massa returned from a battery of neurological tests in Miami – that provided absolute confirmation that he is almost ready to resume his career. "Actually, I am OK. The only problem is I need surgery to close a bone in my head that they had taken away because it was completely damaged. A normal guy can live like this without any problem. But for a driver, if you have an accident and you have this problem, the recovery is more difficult. That's why I need this surgery to close the bone. I will have it soon because that's the only reason they won't allow me to race now. Otherwise I feel the same as before. I'm going to Europe to use the simulator and drive some go-karts and then I will know very well if I'm 100%."Massa appears without doubt that a seemingly routine operation will clear his last remaining obstacle. His competitive instincts, meanwhile, remain razor-sharp. Asked to reflect on the battle for the drivers' title, with Jenson Button being chased by his team-mate, Barrichello, and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, Massa is scathing in assessing the British driver's slump – that has seen Button's lead appear increasingly shaky. Even though his rivals have failed to capitalise, and he remains 16 points ahead, Button seems fretful.Does he believe Barrichello can overtake Button? "Look at me – I came to Brazil six points behind [Hamilton], and I almost won the championship. That was one race. Rubens has five races to close 16 points. It's a big possibility. But it depends on Jenson. If Jenson carries on in this bad way it will help Rubens a lot. In my opinion, Jenson has gone down because of the pressure. It's the only reason."At the start of the season everything was nice, everything was easy. He was in a new team winning six out of the first seven races. That's different to fighting hard for the championship. Now he has a different kind of pressure. In the earlier races he was almost half a second quicker than some teams. You win the race easy and there is not so much pressure. But now we have races where things are more difficult. So for me the pressure has had a big impact on his mind – and he needs to deal with it better. If he does not cope with the pressure he will not win the championship."Does he feel that Button has buckled so badly he will be unable to regain his lost momentum? Massa shrugs. "It's difficult to talk about another driver. I know Jenson but I don't know him so well. But I'm hoping for Rubens, of course. He's Brazilian – and he is my friend."This has been a strange season for Formula One; but for Massa it has been a year like no other. Beyond his crash, the 28-year‑old is preparing to become a father. "I am very excited. The baby is due just after the middle of November – and we know it is a boy. We will call him Felipe. I don't think I will ever forget 2009 because of this crash and, more importantly, becoming a father. Positive things come out of even the most difficult times." When I last met Massa, in Bahrain, just before the season began, he spoke of his belief that "our lives are already written" – and how that philosophical outlook had allowed him to deal with the anguish of losing the title to Hamilton so cruelly. That same positively fatalistic approach has strengthened him these last six weeks."That's the way I always think," he stresses, looking across the city where he first learned to race. "Everything in life has a meaning. If something bad happens it's because you need to learn, to grow. My life was once very difficult – when you think of the position I used to be in and what I had to do to arrive where I am now in my professional career. It was very difficult to reach this point. I had many races in the various categories where I knew if I did not win then I would not get to race in the next race because I did not have the money. So a lot happened that helped me become stronger. I think there is a reason for this accident. At the moment I don't quite know what it is but …"Massa's voice fades away in the certainty that clarity will finally emerge. Does he believe he will eventually become world champion to cap his remarkable recovery? "Always," he smiles. "Even more now. I have to believe it. I have always believed my whole life I will become a champion in whatever field I am racing. Formula One is the same. I will try very hard."On the drive back downtown, countless murals feature the image of Ayrton Senna, São Paulo's great lost son. Beyond the motorway and the tunnel named after him, these giant murals loom as a more haunting reminder that he was the last Formula One driver to lose his life on the track – at Imola in 1994. Fifteen years later another racer from this city almost became the next to die.This weekend, as racing resumes in Italy, Massa will appreciate that his recent fate has been shaped by luck that is more good than bad. If he was incredibly unlucky to have been struck by that potentially lethal spring, he is fortunate to wish he could be driving at Monza. And he now knows that, next year, he will be racing again, as fast and bent on victory as always. His wife, who will then also be a mother, might watch in silent dread but Massa insists he shall push himself to the limit again.As the images of Senna flattened and blurred against the window of a speeding car, Massa's voice echoed again. Asked one last time why he will race on, he had laughed softly. "This is my life," Massa reiterated when we said goodbye. "This is me."Formula OneFerrariFelipe MassaJenson ButtonBrawnMotor sportDonald McRaeguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Michael Schumacher returns to F1

• Formula One legend to stand in for Ferrari's injured Massa• Fitness not a problem despite three years in retirementMichael Schumacher has put his retirement on hold to make the most dramatic Formula One comeback since Niki Lauda's return to the sport in 1982. Ferrari confirmed today that the seven-times world champion, who retired in 2006, will make a sensational return to the sport as a stand-in for the injured Felipe Massa. Subject to passing a medical, the 40-year-old German will return at the European grand prix in Valencia on 23 August.Schumacher has made it clear that he is stepping in only to help the team for which he won five of his titles and, in particular, Massa with whom he struck up a close friendship during their 2006 season driving for the Italian team.It is expected that Schumacher, who will not be able to drive the Ferrari before the first free practice session at the Spanish track due to the ban on testing during the racing season, will partner Kimi Raikkonen in the seven remaining races this season."The most important thing first is that, thank God, all the news concerning Felipe is positive," said Schumacher in a statement. "I was meeting this afternoon with [Ferrari principal] Stefano Domenicali and [company president] Luca di Montezemolo and together we decided that I will prepare myself to take the place of Felipe."He added: "Though it is true that the chapter of Formula One has been completely closed to me for a long time, it is also true that for loyalty reasons to the team I cannot ignore that unfortunate situation. But as the competitor that I am, I also very much look forward to facing this challenge."Massa, who suffered head injuries during qualifying for last Sunday's Hungarian grand prix, continues his recuperation. The Brazilian has been moved out of intensive care, and his doctor, Dino Altmann, believes Massa will race again. "The improvements have gone beyond our wildest expectations," Altmann said.Former world champion Lauda believes Schumacher will thrive on his return. "Michael coming back is absolutely the best, most fantastic thing to happen in Formula One this season," Lauda said. "He will have absolutely no problem with physical fitness, because he has maintained his fitness to a very high level. When I was away from racing for two and a half years I did nothing but fly aeroplanes, not doing any training at all. Michael is different. He will be competitive, easily, for sure."The world champion, Lewis Hamilton, will realise a long-held dream when he races against Schumacher. In his autobiography, My Story, Hamilton remarked: "I was asked which former driver I would most like to race against, and I went for Michael Schumacher. I got a laugh by saying I was disappointed that he had bailed out the year I got to Formula One."Formula OneFerrariFelipe MassaMotor sportguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Michael Schumacher returns to Formula One as BMW announces exit

The retired seven-time champion will replace injured driver Felipe Massa for Ferrari. BMW says high costs drove its decision to withdraw, following Honda's lead. Formula One was rocked by two stunning developments today when retired seven-time champion Michael Schumacher said he would come out of retirement to drive again for Ferrari, and the automaker BMW announced it would leave the international racing series at season's end.

Vettel wins British grand prix

• Sebastian Vettel's second win of the season• Jenson Button finishes in sixth after poor startSebastian Vettel has won the British grand prix for his second race win of the season, with Mark Webber behind him for a Red Bull one-two, and Rubens Barricchello in third. The world championship leader Jenson Button started and finished in sixth, but he still holds a healthy 23-point lead from Barrichello, who has 41 points. Vettel's win keeps him in third place, now two points behind Barrichello.It was the final FIA grand prix to be staged at Silverstone, although the current stand-off between the Formula One controllers and the teams means the track could yet be called into action as part of a rebel series next year. Vettel won from pole and made a strong start, unlike two weeks ago in Turkey when an early error allowed Button into first place, a position he did not relinquish for the rest of the race. In fact it was Button who started poorly this time, boxed in and immediately slipping three places to ninth.Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso overtook each other to renew their old rivalry, but unlike the 2007 championship, the two were well down the field. Hamilton eventually finished in 16th position.2009 British grand prix results1 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull 1hr 22mins 49.328secs2 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull 1:23:04.5163 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Brawn GP 1:23:30.4834 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari 1:23:34.3715 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams 1:23:35.2436 Jenson Button (GB) Brawn GP 1:23:35.6137 Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 1:23:57.6358 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:23:58.9509 Timo Glock (Ger) Toyota 1:23:59.15110 Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Force India 1:24:00.85011 Kazuki Nakajima (Jpn) Williams 1:24:03.35112 Nelson Piquet Jr (Bra) Renault at 1 Lap13 Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber at 1 Lap14 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault at 1 Lap15 Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber at 1 Lap16 Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren at 1 Lap17 Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India at 1 Lap18 Sébastien Buemi (Swi) Scuderia Toro Rosso at 1 LapNot Classified: 19 Sebastien Bourdais (Fra) Scuderia Toro Rosso 37 Laps completed, 20 Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) McLaren 36 Laps completedWorld championship standingsDrivers: 1 Jenson Button (GB) Brawn GP 64pts, 2 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Brawn GP 41, 3 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull 39, 4 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull 35.5, 5 Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 21.5, 6 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari 16, 7 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams 15.5, 8 Timo Glock (Ger) Toyota 13, 9 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 11, 10 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 10, 11 Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren 9, 12 Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 6, 13 Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) McLaren 4, 14 Sébastien Buemi (Swi) Scuderia Toro Rosso 3, 15 Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 2, 16 Sebastien Bourdais (Fra) Scuderia Toro Rosso 2, 17 Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Force India 0, 18 Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India 0, 19 Nelson Piquet Jr (Bra) Renault 0, 20 Kazuki Nakajima (Jpn) Williams 0Manufacturers: 1 Brawn GP 105, 2 Red Bull 74.5, 3 Toyota 34.5, 4 Ferrari 26, 5 Williams 15.5, 6 McLaren 13, 7 Renault 11, 8 BMW Sauber 8, 9 Scuderia Toro Rosso 5, 10 Force India 0Formula oneRed BullJenson ButtonBrawnFerrariMcLarenRenaultForce IndiaSauberToyotaWilliamsToro RossoLewis HamiltonMotor sportguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

British grand prix – live!

Join Gemma for all the action. Any insights, questions or comments can be e-mailed hereLap 17: Raikkonen (P10) has leap-frogged Nakajima (P11) in those stops. Hamilton - being held up by the slower Kubica - tells his engineer he cannot pass as he has no grip.Lap 16: Kazuki 'I'm running on a wisp of fuel' Nakajima is the first to pit. He stays on the harder tyre. Vettel does another fastest lap. Button is now 27.4 seconds adrift of the leader. Raikkonen also pits.Lap 12: Not much drama to report I'm afraid folks. Here's the order: Vettel, Barrichello, Webber, Nakajima (I know!), Raikkonen, Rosberg, Trulli, Button, Massa, Glock, Fisichella (go on my son), Heidfeld, Alonso, Kubica, Hamilton, Piquet, Bourdais, Buemi, Kovalainen and Sutil.Lap 11: My carefully-positioned boyfriend... erm, sorry, I mean track-side mole... is embedded at Club. But all he has to report is that there are plenty of chips being consumed (gernerous servings too, apparently). And it's a bit chilly.Lap 10: Vettel's lead now 10 seconds and he's just posted another fastest lap. Webber maintains his close pursuit of Barrichello but has not thrown any moves.Lap nine: Hamilton's engineers have told him he must get past Kubica (P14). But the Brit said yesterday that his car is so poor the only way to drive it is slowly.Lap eight: Heidfeld is running well in 12th, having started 15th, despite his poorly nose (on the car, you understand).Lap seven: Vettel's lead is over 7 seconds now, but there's only eight tenths between Barrichello and Webber. Button still in eighth - he's over 15 seconds shy of the race leader now.Lap five: Webber is six seconds behind his team-mate in third. He'll need to get past Barrichello if he wants to hunt him down. Kubica has taken 14th from Hamilton - looks like happened when Alonso (in P13) ran wide and held up Hamilton, allowing the BMW through.Lap four: Over the radio we can hear Heidfeld's engineer telling him 'box! box!' (which means pit, not slam another driver in the face) for a new nose. But the militant German says 'nein'. He'll wait until the first stop. Vettel's lead now 4.4sec.Lap three: Vettel is storming - he made almost a second on Barrichello in that lap. Kovalainen wins the prize for worst start: he lined up in 13th and he's back in 19th.Lap two: Vettel's lead is already 2.5seconds, he's the fastest car on track. Hamilton is up to 14th already - he can see a points finish in his sights. Button has re-passed Massa for eighth.Lap one: Trulli also dropped down the order at the start. The Ferraris both got flyers - Massa looked fantastic surging past Button. The order in the top ten after the first tour: Vettel, Barrichello, Webber, Nakajima, Raikkonen, Rosberg, Trulli, Massa, Button and Glock.The start: Vettel good start, keeps ahead of Barrichello and Webber. Button has dropped down to eighth.Most of the frontrunners - apart from the Williams cars - are starting on the softer option tyres. We're about to get underway...Enough politics. We're counting down to the start of the GP now. It looks a little breezy at the former airfield. Flavio Briatore has told the BBC's Martin Brundle that he "loves" Bernie Ecclestone. Victoria Pendleton "cannot believe" that she's been standing on the Formula One grid. And Lewis Hamilton is casting round for a pair of binoculars so he can get a glimpse of the front of the pack...More breaking news: The Big Row has given Donington Park a 'get out of jail free' card. Apparently, if the planned breakaway goes ahead, the circuit bosses can pull out of their contract to host the GP. Which would help them out of any hole, were they not to achieve the funding necessary to bring the circuit up to scratch, wouldn't it?I think the news editor will pull out my computer's power cable if I don't mention The Big Row. The latest news: in a quote that will leave the City's finest barristers weeping into their copies of the Sunday Times this morning, Max Mosley has said that a resolution is imminent. "I think we would rather talk than litigate," he said. "We are very, very close as far as the facts are concerned. It's just if the teams want to sit down and iron out the last few difficulties." So are we close to a resolution then? Let's hope so: my fingernails are already bitten to the quick and I can handle any more last-minute re-writes. But what do you care about my bleeding hands - email me with your thoughts.Elsewhere on the grid, the Williams pair were light-fuelled and running highly. But the big story had to be Lewis Hamilton's dire 19th position. He wasn't helped by the red flags coming out owing to Adrian Sutil's heafty shunt, but the reigning champion later claimed he had little more to come from his curtailed flying lap. At least it'll be fun to watch him try and work his way up the field. Funny, though, how we've been uttering that line for the past few races. But we absolutely won't say 'what a difference a year makes'. That would be too cliched. Ooops.So Vettel, the only man other than Jenson to have won a grand prix this season, sits on pole. And what a lap it was. Information on the fuel loads released last night showed that the young German's car was carrying two more laps of fuel compared to team-mate Webber - with the Brawn GP drivers' cars carrying less than both the Red Bulls. So you'd have to fancy that the energy drink-powered cars have the edge, right? Both drivers praised recent technical developments made by the Milton Keynes-based squad, while Button could only whinge about his skitterish Brawn.1. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull-Renault2. Rubens Barrichello, Brawn-Mercedes3. Mark Webber, Red Bull-Renault4. Jarno Trulli, Toyota5. Kazuki Nakajima, Williams-Toyota6. Jenson Button, Brawn-Mercedes7. Nico Rosberg, Williams-Toyota8. Timo Glock, Toyota9. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari10. Fernando Alonso, Renault11. Felipe Massa, Ferrari12. Robert Kubica, BMW-Sauber13. Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren-Mercedes14. Nelson Piquet, Renault15. Nick Heidfeld, BMW-Sauber16. Giancarlo Fisichella, Force India-Mercedes17. Sebastien Bourdais, Toro Rosso-Ferrari18. Adrian Sutil, Force India-Mercedes19. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes20. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso-FerrariBut let's say 'pah!' to those anoraks at the circuit anyway - they were smugly expecting to watch hero-de-jour Jenson Button triumph, weren't they? Not so confident now though. Sixth on the grid? What's all that about we demanded after yesterday's qualifying session. No grip, according to Sir Jenson of Frome. Skating around like a duckling on an icy pond, apparently. Ole Button has written off his chances of victory already, so what can we expect from today's race? Let's remind ourselves of the grid...Well hello. So you're not one of the 90,000 people who've made the pilgrimage to Silverstone for it's last-ever Formula One grand prix* (*possibly) then? Never mind. I was going to say that it'll probably rain and you're better off tucked up on your sofa watching the action with a mug of tea and a packet of Hob Nobs. But I have to report that when I left home this morning - the Briggs abode being close enough to the track that the fat cats' helicopters were interfering with my television signal as I tried to watch Roary the Racing Car early this morning - the skies were a beautiful blue and not a drop of moisture threatened my 'do.Formula oneMotor sportBrawnToyotaFerrariToro RossoRed BullForce IndiaRenaultSauberWilliamsMcLarenLewis HamiltonJenson Buttonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Lewis Hamilton's first pole of 2009

• Hamilton follows up win in Hungary with pole in Valencia• Heikki Kovalainen will start second in McLaren one-twoLewis Hamilton claimed his first pole position of the season as McLaren locked out the front row for tomorrow's European grand prix in Valencia.The reigning world champion, fresh from winning his first race of the season last time out in Hungary, posted a time of one minute 39.498 seconds to beat Heikki Kovalainen to top spot by less than a tenth of a second."Clearly, we have very, very good pace this weekend," said Hamilton. "We thought we would be competitive, but I don't think we thought we'd be on the front row. We've not had a one-two qualifying experience for quite a long time, so it's great to be here."Despite the turnaround in McLaren's fortunes, Hamilton insists there is no question of him getting carried away. "For sure, going into tomorrow we stand in the best position for a podium, but it all depends of strategy and how the start and the race goes."Brawn GP's Rubens Barrichello will start behind Hamilton and Kovalainen in third, with Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel fourth and championship leader Jenson Button fifth. Home favourite Fernando Alonso will be disappointed with eighth place for Renault.Elsewhere, Adrian Sutil's rapid practice pace failed to convert into anything more than 12th on the grid for Force India, Renault debutant Romain Grosjean had to settle for 14th and Felipe Massa's stand-in Luca Badoer suffered a torrid return to Formula One. Back behind the wheel of a grand prix car for the first time in a decade, the 38-year-old Ferrari test driver qualified last on the grid."I was hoping for better, but that more or less was the range," the Italian said. "We were expecting this. One year without driving and a new track, what could I do? This race is a test. I have to be better in the next race."Positions after qualifying:1 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) McLaren 1min 39.498secs, 2 Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) McLaren 1:39.532, 3 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Brawn GP 1:39.563, 4 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull 1:39.789, 5 Jenson Button (Gbr) Brawn GP 1:39.821, 6 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:40.144, 7 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams 1:40.185, 8 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 1:40.236, 9 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull 1:40.239, 10 Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 1:40.512, 11 Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 1:38.826, 12 Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India 1:38.846, 13 Timo Glock (Ger) Toyota 1:38.991, 14 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Renault 1:39.040, 15 Sebastien Buemi (Swi) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:39.514, 16 Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Force India 1:39.531, 17 Kazuki Nakajima (Jpn) Williams 1:39.795, 18 Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 1:39.807, 19 Jaime Alguersuari (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:39.925, 20 Luca Badoer (Ita) Ferrari 1:41.413Formula OneLewis HamiltonMcLarenMotor sportguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds