Fittipaldi unsure about safety

Although the double Formula One World Champion supports the concept of former Grand Prix drivers coming out of retirement to race in a masters series, he wants to complete further testing at the South African track to decide whether he will be one on the grid for Sunday's race.

The 58-year-old says that he was happy with last month's Silverstone test of the Delta Motorsport prepared machinery but says he wants to be sure that he will be safe racing against his former rivals.

"I haven't promised the organisers that I'm going to race Kyalami, but I will test the car," Fittipaldi told autosport.com. "I want to see how the track safety is.

"I like the concept, but there is a big difference between this concept and golf masters and tennis masters. In golf, if you make a mistake with your equipment the ball goes into the tree, but a mistake in Grand Prix Masters mean we go to the tree together."

Fittipaldi still feels the effects of injuries sustained in the IndyCar crash that ended his competitive career at Michigan in 1996 and will take medical advice from GP Masters' medical chief Dr. Steve Olvey before racing again.

"I was excited, but because of my injury in the crash with Greg Moore at Michigan, I don't know if I can still drive," Fittipaldi said.

"The Penske I drove in 1996 was basically the same car as this one. It was the same layout, and I had more downforce than these cars now and I had more power too. But it has been nearly 10 years since I drove a single-seater.

"I know I will be on the pace because I was in Silverstone, but the problem is what is going to happen when we all drive against each other. We haven't been racing for years. We could miss a brake or whatever. I just want to see it.

"I want to know how I feel again in the cockpit. I feel good by myself but there will be more people. I want to see how I feel against driving against others.

"What I am really looking for, is driving in events next year."

However, despite his concern, Fittipaldi revealed that he was already comparing laptimes within minutes of the first Silverstone test.

"For sure I was looking at the laptimes!" Fittipaldi added. "I was getting too excited and too happy. And that's when I did about the same laptime as Nigel Mansell.

"I was already looking at lap times and comparing it against other drivers and how quick I was. The overall idea is fantastic and will be a great show and we are extremely competitive drivers."