This was freaky. During this morning's Formula 1 Hungarian GP qualifying, Rubens Barrichello lost a spring from the rear of his car about the size of a spray paint can, but obviously heavy stuff. Seconds later, and without Barrichello in view, Massa was on a hot lap when the same spring was still bouncing down the track. In a freak accident, the spring hit him in the helmet at what must have been over 150mph, stunning him instantly. He was barely conscious enough to lock up the brakes before the fast turn 2 left hander, and went straight off into the tire barrier at high speed.
He was attended to immediately, and air lifted to a hospital where they performed emergency surgery on his fractured skull. He remains on a respirator in an induced coma, so the story says, in serious but stable condition.
Reports at the track were that Massa was conscious at the scene, and was sedated as he was apparently very agitated. Brazilian drivers are, erm, intense on-track at the best of times, I can't imagine how he would have been having been knocked silly and suffering a broken head.
This follows the death of a GP2 driver last week, who was hit in the head by a severed wheel assembly due to a crash ahead of him.
Massa has surgery after freak Hungary crash - CNN.com
He was attended to immediately, and air lifted to a hospital where they performed emergency surgery on his fractured skull. He remains on a respirator in an induced coma, so the story says, in serious but stable condition.
Reports at the track were that Massa was conscious at the scene, and was sedated as he was apparently very agitated. Brazilian drivers are, erm, intense on-track at the best of times, I can't imagine how he would have been having been knocked silly and suffering a broken head.
This follows the death of a GP2 driver last week, who was hit in the head by a severed wheel assembly due to a crash ahead of him.
Massa has surgery after freak Hungary crash - CNN.com