Felipe Massa says that his chances of returning to the Formula One grid this season are "very, very low".

The Brazilian driver suffered serious head injuries in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix in July after he was hit above the left eye by a rear suspension spring that fell off the Brawn GP car of Rubens Barrichello, his countryman.

The Ferrari driver had already ruled out competing in his home race, the Brazilian Grand Prix in São Paulo, in nine days’ time and now says his chances of racing in Abu Dhabi two weeks later are very slim.

"I hope I'll be back soon but I also know the best thing is that I'm coming back 100 per cent at the start of the next season," Massa said. "My dream would be to race in Abu Dhabi. But the possibility is really, really low."

The Brazilian has been at Ferrari’s headquarters in Maranello, Italy, for the past week, where he has met team managers and worked on the car simulator. The next step in his comeback is a test in a 2007-vintage Ferrari Formula One car, which is due to take place in the next couple of weeks.

"I'll go to Paris for some medical check-ups at the FIA and on Monday, if the weather is fine, I should finally be behind the wheel of a Formula One single-seater," he said. "I hope I can do many miles and do well, not only in terms of performance but also as far as constant lap times are concerned.

"I'm confident and I think there won't be any problems. It's true that a Formula One vibrates a lot and there is lots of physical stress, but I'm used to it."

Massa will turn his attentions to building his sharpness for the start of the 2010 season, when with a new car and new team-mate in Fernando Alonso he will be bidding to capture his maiden world title.

Next season, Massa will be partnered at Ferrari by Alonso, the Spanish double world champion, who has already set out his plans to emulate the achievements of Michael Schumacher with the Scuderia. Massa, however, is not planning to allow Alonso to get the better of him. "I'm sure that with Alonso we'll form a great team and we'll work together very well. The goal will be very simple - winning," Massa said.

"I saw the model of the new car in the wind tunnel - it's different from the actual one, also because there will be new rules. Let's hope it will be fast."