Felipe Massa has spoken about a recent visit he made to see Michael Schumacher in hospital ahead of the Bahrain pre-season test.
The Brazilian is good friends with the German, having spent the 2006 season as his team-mate at Ferrari.
Schumacher remains in a stable condition and is currently being woken from his coma, though the process is expected to take several weeks.
Massa expressed some optimisim after he spent time with the 45-year-old.
“I always try to be optimistic,” he said. “I saw him, I talked to him, I was telling him everything I did in Jerez – about my car, the new team and everything – I was telling him to wake up many times… I’m positive. I think we need to believe. He’s a very strong man, a very great man and I really hope he can wake up and I really hope he can enjoy his life again.
“It’s always very difficult to say because I have zero experience about what the doctors say. I saw him and I was very happy to be together with him for a very long time, talking to him and trying to give the best energy and just help him.”
The Williams driver revealed that Schumacher responded with some mouth movements, a positive sign, and stated that he looked ‘normal’.
“He’s sleeping and I was very positive because he was normal. He looks normal and he also gave some reactions with the mouth and everything. So it’s positive to look at him. But I have no experience to say anything. I’m not a doctor. But when I saw him, for me, it looked very positive.”
