Budapest, Hungary (My Sportsbook) - Injured Formula One driver Felipe Massa left a Budapest hospital and headed back to his home country of Brazil on Monday, after spending nine days recovering from injuries sustained in a high- speed qualifying crash in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Massa underwent emergency surgery for a fractured skull at the AEK hospital after he was struck by a spring that came off Rubens Barrichello's Brawn GP car. He also suffered a concussion and an injury to his left eye during the incident.

In his first interview since Hungaroring, the Ferrari driver recalled the horrifying crash that is likely to sideline him for the remainder of the F1 season.

"It is sort of a strange feeling," Massa said. "I know exactly what happened, that a spring came off Rubens' car and hit me on the helmet. I know that something happened to me, but I didn't feel anything when it happened.

"They told me that I lost consciousness at the moment of the spring's impact on my helmet and I ran into the barriers, then I woke up in hospital two days later. I don't remember anything, and that's what the doctors explained to me. When I saw Rob (Smedley, his race engineer), he asked me if I remembered Rubens, but the last thing I remembered was when I was behind him at the end of my fast lap in Q2, and then it's blank."

Massa vowed he will return to F1 as soon as he makes a complete recovery.

"I'm feeling much better now, and I want to recover as soon as possible to get back behind the wheel of a Ferrari," he added.

Ferrari is planning to replace Massa with former driver Michael Schumacher for the next month's European Grand Prix. Schumacher, a seven-time F1 champion, has already begun testing in preparation for his comeback. He retired after the 2006 season.

"(Schumacher) gave me many tips during my career when we were racing together," Massa said. "He knows how to win, he knows how to drive and he's great. It was the best choice handing over the car to such a fantastic person, and I'm sure that everybody will be happy to see him back on the track again."