Formula One news

Da Matta out of coma

Former Toyota F1 driver Cristiano da Matta has come out of a coma and can now walk and talk, Champ Car Medical Director Dr. Chris Pinderski has said.

The 32-year-old was involved in a freak accident at a Champ Car test on August 3 when his RuSPORT car struck a deer at Road America in Elkhart Lake. The Brazilian suffered serious head injuries and has been recovering ever since at Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah, Wisconsin.

However after almost a month in intensive care, Pinderski reported on Wednesday that da Matta is making "excellent progress".

"Although he is still somewhat confused," Pinderski explained, "he is now conversational in both English and Portuguese."

"Additionally, he has started to walk on his own for short periods of time with minimal assistance."

Pinderski revealed also that da Matta should be ready to start rehabilitation next week.

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