3 July 2012
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100883
By the look of it the car crashed into a truck tail lift that, with all the bad luck in the world, was at a height such that the front of the car could pass under, but nothing above the cockpit rim could, though I hope it wasn't as serious or as grim as that.
28 January 2009
Yes, there is a photo circulating on Twitter which showed the car buried in the loading platform, which was exactly at cockpit height. There was also audio of the crash and immediate aftermath (people swearing and calling for an ambulance) being circulated by BBC Cambridgeshire, which seemed rather tasteless.
Hopefully she is ok, Marussia are planning to make a statement in the next half hour or so.
www.TheCarExpert.co.uk/forums
29 October 2007
I hope she pulls through, i just wish they would stop showing images of this nature, it just doesn't help, does it?
Peter Cavellini.
4 March 2008
Coverage of the same story from BBC Sport:
"Emergency medical charity Magpas, which helped to treat Villota at the scene, said she had suffered "facial and head injuries" and was in a stable condition on her arrival at hospital.
BBC Cambridgeshire presenter Chris Mann, who witnessed the crash, said the car had completed a circuit when it "suddenly accelerated" into the back of the lorry.
"From where I was standing it looked like the helmet took the brunt of the impact," he said.
"Strangely, the car suddenly accelerated into the lorry and the car went careering into the side of the loading board."
Honda CR-V ES 2.2 i-DTEC/Citroen DS3 1.6 VTi DStyle Plus
8 January 2008
According to Sky she is now concious so fingers crossed she is going to be OK.
No idea why there was a lorry with a tailgate down in an area where an F1 car was circulating. Sounds like a very basic error on somebody's part.
28 January 2009
No idea why there was a lorry with a tailgate down in an area where an F1 car was circulating. Sounds like a very basic error on somebody's part.
It does, although allegedly the car was trundling back at walking pace to turn around and start another straight-line aero run when it suddenly accelerated into the truck.
From what i have been able to gather, it wasn't a high-speed impact, but very unlucky in that the impact was directly on the helmet. Racecar Engineering website suggested the anti-stall may have kicked in to stop the engine cutting out, causing the car to jump forward and into the nearby truck. Still sounds odd, but I guess we will hear more eventually. In the meantime, we hope for the best for de Villota.
www.TheCarExpert.co.uk/forums
4 July 2012
According to Sky she is now concious so fingers crossed she is going to be OK.
6 November 2007
No idea why there was a lorry with a tailgate down in an area where an F1 car was circulating. Sounds like a very basic error on somebody's part.
It does, although allegedly the car was trundling back at walking pace to turn around and start another straight-line aero run when it suddenly accelerated into the truck.
The cruel irony here is that if the truck is being accessed frequently, leaving the lift horizontal but slightly off the ground (to avoid a trip hazard, but not so high to be a head hazard), is the acceptable thing to do. If it wasn't then clearly they'd review practices, and maybe they will in any case.
You can drive yourself mad with this sort of thing though. Even if the lift had been packed away, there'd be people saying the truck shouldn't be there, and on and on. If there was a fault with the car, it may have gone on, perhaps gaining speed, until it came across something hard, so it's all moot. As much as some go on about "elf 'n safety" culture, the HSE are very good at investigating these things and coming to a sensible judgement - I've been through it following a death on site.
Anyway, hope her recovery is swift and complete. Among a population of racing drivers that, unfortunately, seem to get coverage only for being female, she's one of the best and has more than earned her chops.
If I knew what I was getting into, I wouldn't have done it...and I would have been wrong.
28 January 2009
Indeed. The safety culture in F1 for the last 18 years has been very good, and I am sure they will review the accident thoroughly and make any appropriate changes. Ultaimately it was a private aero test at an airfield rather than a full FIA-sanctioned test day at an FIA-sanctioned circuit, so it is up to the team running the program to accept responsibility for how it is managed.
Unfortunately the latest news is that de Villota has lost an eye and has serious facial injuries which will take much surgery to repair. Very sad, although even a few years ago the news would have almost certainly been much worse. Current helmet regulations were toughened after Massa's accident in 2009, and of course car safety has improved out of sight since the dark days of 1994.
www.TheCarExpert.co.uk/forums
20 May 2012
Very sadly Maria de Villota has lost the sight of one eye and she remains in a critical but stable condition. It is heartbreaking for the lass whose dream had just come to fruition. Why that truck was anywhere near any place a car could possibly collide with it is quite ridiculous. Reminders of USA open wheel ovals and fuel trucks etc - these folk never seem to learn do they. Maria I pray you will recover very soon. Hope that you will have no further setbacks. HUGS !!!
what's life without imagination
20 July 2012
This would appear from everything i have read to be nothing more than a freak accident that could have happened to any team, and i think to suggest otherwise at this stage is a tad insensitive.
http://www.autolinetransport.com