Massa opens up over Schumacher visit

Felipe Massa has spoken about a visit he made to Michael Schumacher in hospital in Grenoble.

Schumacher remains in a coma following his skiing accident in late December, with doctors reducing his sedation in an attempt to wake him. Massa revealed that he had visited Schumacher ahead of the second test in Bahrain and that he is hopeful that his former Ferrari team-mate will make a good recovery.

"I always try to be optimistic," Massa 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."

Asked how Schumacher looked when he visited, Massa said he took hope from what he saw but stressed he couldn't give any predictions or updates on his condition.

"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."