Massa celebrates birth of first child

Felipe Massa became a father late on Monday, when his firstborn son Felipe was born at a Sao Paulo hospital, the Brazilian Formula One driver said on Wednesday.

"This is an incredible time in my life, a unique feeling. I am superhappy, as is Raffaela," Massa said, with reference to his wife.

"He was born big and strong. I followed childbirth and stayed firm," the Ferrari driver added at an awards ceremony in Sao Paulo.

According to his father's spokespersons, Felipe Bassi Massa was born at 6.27 pm (2027 GMT) Monday. He was 49 centimetres long and weighed 3.37 kilogrammes. Baby and mother were said to be in fine health.

Massa, 28, is set to return to the racetrack next year, following a long absence due to severe skull injuries he sustained in late July during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The driver compared fatherhood with winning a Formula One race at home.

"It was a very special win. It certainly was a very special feeling, such as winning in Brazil. I had not imagined such a feeling, it is incredible," he said.