'So happy': Teen racer Sophia Floersch returns to track months after breaking back in horror smash

F3 driver Sophia Floersch, 18, has returned to the wheel of her Van Amersfoort car for testing in Monza, her first time in the cockpit since a high-speed horror crash last November in which she broke her back.

Floersch's car exited the track while traveling at 171mph (276kmh) at the Macau Grand Prix in November, flying over safety barriers and into a tent which was housing media and race officials - but she has now returned to the sport just 105 days after the accident which left her seriously injured.

German driver Floersch tweeted in advance of Wednesday's testing at Monza that she was "so happy" to be back in the cockpit of her car so soon after recovering from surgery. 

Her comeback is particularly satisfying, given the severity of the injury which placed put her racing future in the balance.

The accident occurred when Floersch lost control of her car after contact on a straight, after which it collided with Japanese racer Sho Tsuboi's vehicle and was sent airborne. The Japanese star was fortunate in the incident too, as Floersch's car struck the 'halo', or safety-arc, directly behind his head.

Since the accident Floersch has rehabbed her injuries to the point where she is once again cleared to race. She is considered to be one of the finest racers in her age-group in the world and will look to continue her ascent through the ranks of Formula 3, with a spot on a Formula 1 team her stated ambition.