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 August 23 and will continue to race until the Brazilian is able to return. Italian media said the 40-year-old had gone out for a few laps in the car at the Mugello track near Florence. F1 testing is banned during the season but Schumacher is being allowed to drive an old car as he undergoes a programme of preparation to make sure he is fit for Valencia. Although those cars are not current or last year's ones,I simply like to drive as much as possible,so this is a good option, Schumacher wrote on his website. It will be an honour Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton said it would be an honour and a privilege to race against Michael Schumacher following the Germans shock return to the sport. Hamilton was only nine when Schumacher won the first of his seven world titles and began his Formula One career a few months after the German retired. I am excited by the possibility of Michael Schumachers return to Formula 1,but my thoughts are still with Felipe and his family following his terrible accident in Hungary, Hamilton said in a statement from his McLaren team. Michael is one of the sports greatest competitors and a legend in his own right and it would be great to compete against him. The whole world will be watching his return to the cockpit in Valencia and it will not only be fascinating to see how he readies himself for his grand prix comeback but also an honour and a privilege to race against him for the very first time. I wish him well, he added. Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo was confident a special programme of preparation would get Schumacher in shape to race again despite a back injury. I hope the tests help him rediscover his physical condition and I am happy to have convinced him. Michael is a man who accepts challenges, Montezemolo told reporters in Rome. Massa to return home soon Felipe Massas doctor says the Formula One driver will return home to Brazil on Monday. Dr. Dino Altman said on Friday at AEK hospital that Massa is in a good mood and in good shape and wants to race again as soon as possible. Altman didn't reveal how long Massas full recovery would take,but said the Brazilian would not need special treatment to overcome his injuries.
