Michael Schumacher says he is ‘frustrated and sad’ at being forced to abandon his F1 comeback because of a neck injury.

In his capacity as racing advisor to Ferrari, Schumacher was present in Budapest for the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix when Ferrari driver Felipe Massa was seriously injured after being struck by a suspension spring during qualifying.

As it became clear that Massa would be unable to compete in the next race at Valencia, Schumacher was chosen as a replacement for the Brazilian driver.

Therefore, on 29 July 2009, Ferrari announced that they planned to draft in Schumacher for the 2009 European Grand Prix, and subsequent Grands Prix until Massa is able to race again.

He had already started to test in a modified F2007 to prepare himself. He had been unable to test the 2009 car, due to testing restrictions. Ferrari appealed for special permission to test, but Williams, Red Bull and Toro Rosso were against this test.

However, Schumacher called off his return on August 10th due to the severity of his neck injury which he got in a motorcycle accident earlier in the year.

It is still unclear if Schumacher will race in 2009 after Valencia, or possibly in 2010, as Ferrari’s president Luca di Montezemolo hinted Ferrari might push for rule change which would allow Formula One teams to run three cars during a Grand Prix.