Massa thinking of Schumacher as F1 teams get ready to race in Australia

Felipe Massa has spoken about his former team mate Michael Schumacher on the eve of the first Grand Prix meeting since Schumacher was injured in a ski accident and revealed that he has a Michael Schumacher tribute on his crash helmet.

"I always think about him every day, pray for him every day so I really hope that things can go back and be OK for him," said Massa in Albert Park paddock this afternoon. "For sure it was a shame to see what’s happened but I keep thinking about him, he’s on my helmet and we’ll keep praying and believing that things can be OK for him and he’s coming back."

Yesterday Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm issued a statement, knowing that the seven times champion and his condition would be a talking point this weekend.

"We are and remain confident that Michael will pull through and will wake up. There sometimes are small, encouraging signs, but we also know that this is the time to be very patient," it read.

"Michael has suffered severe injuries. It is very hard to comprehend for all of us that Michael, who had overcome a lot of precarious situations in the past, has been hurt so terribly in such a banal situation.

"It was clear from the start that this will be a long and hard fight for Michael. We are taking this fight on together with the team of doctors, whom we fully trust. The length of the process is not the important part for us.

It is heart-warming to see how much sympathy his family is shown and I can say that the family is extremely grateful for it.

"However, it should not be forgotten that Michael’s family is dealing with an extremely intimate and fragile situation. And I would like to remind all of us that Michael has always actively kept his family out of the public eye and consequently protected their private lives.