[kimaddison]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-18685789

[yQvpyNt3]

As soon as I heard she'd crashed into a stationary truck, I was thinking "that's got to be about head height'

Hope she pulls through...

[toyboy]

Team statement: http://www.marussiaf1team.com/news/620/

Ambulance Service reporting she has sustained "life threatening injuries".

--- Post Update ---

"From where I was standing it looked like the helmet took the brunt of the impact," he said. Sounds really bad.

[HenriRow]

Something peculiar going on as the car "suddenly accelerated".

[9rCR9hWL]

Ouch...

[cargo_brad]

Ah shoot, the cars are amazingly 'safe' in a crash, but that sort of thing leaves the drivers very exposed as the rest of the safety equipment stops them being able to duck or turn their heads down.
I hope she pulls through OK, IIRC, she was only given the position a short time ago and this was her first drive, and I was hoping she'd even make it onto the race grid, in time.
It may have been a momentary confusion, trying to press the brake, forgetting it's to the left, unlike 'normal' cars, perhaps some sort of anti-stall problem with the rpm rising and failing to release the clutch?

Appreciate any updates.

[AdobebePhoto]

http://twitpic.com/a3duh9/full

Better quality picture of it, looks like whatever-that-thing-which-you-lower-behind-the-truck-to-load-stuff is called went like a slicer through the helmet

[vicgirl]

http://twitpic.com/a3duh9/full

Better quality picture of it, looks like whatever-that-thing-which-you-lower-behind-the-truck-to-load-stuff is called went like a slicer through the helmet

Nasty...

Some more info & audio here :- http://audioboo.fm/boos/871249

[Htb48JBf]

Read this earlier on the BBC F1 site. Terrible accident. Really hope things go well for her, I hear she is currently stable - Good news!

[POMAH_K]

****ing ouch..

[LsrSRVxR]

Terrible accident. It quite possibly will have badly severed her head, almost cutting it in two, maybe right on the nose. Purely a guess, but it looks so so nasty.

[shenacatro]

She is concious and undergoing medical assessments.

Someone reported on Twitter that the truck lift actually fell on her after she crashed. Whether that's true or not I have no idea.

[Tuqofiw]

Certainly possible if it was hydraulically operated and a hose was severed.

[Saduyre9de]

She's lost her right eye, but other than that might recover quite well. Unlucky, but could have been worse.

[Enliseell]

She's lost her right eye, but other than that might recover quite well. Unlucky, but could have been worse.

Indeed, could have been much worse. Any word on what exactly caused the injury? I mean, did she hit the truck-back-lift-whatever-thingy straight on, or did it fall on her or what?

[yahyynzer]

From that picture looks like she drove straight into it with her face... hence the horrible injuries, and thanking of plastic surgeons... poor girl.

[Thydaysuh]

Something peculiar going on as the car "suddenly accelerated".

she probably got her flip flop caught under the accelerator pedal

[fenter1]

With the billions of sensors on the cars, you'd think someone would know.

It looked like the lorry loader platform was half way down (about eye height if you're sat in an F1 car). The platforms have tapered edges so that it's easy to roll things onto them. Unfortunately the edge would be like a striking axe blade if you hit it at 30 or 40mph. That's my guess.

she probably got her flip flop caught under the accelerator pedal

I wondered who would be the first to stoop low and start the 'woman driver' remarks!

[Kausilwf]

This is really horrible, feel very bad for her. I read this news this morning but i didnt reply because I was quite disturbed by this as an F1 fan.

But I have to say this, she shouldnt have been in an F1 car end of story. It has nothing to do with the fact that its a woman driver. Look at her record, she was not really a candidate to be in a F1 car, and she is 32 years old which is just far far too old for an F1 rookie. Im not saying you need to be in your 20s to drive in F1, Schumacher, Barrichello and Coulthard all proved that you dont have to be young...but you have to have shown the ability much earlier on which she never had in these class of vehicle.

I would say the exact same thing for a male driver in that position. I think it was hugely iresponsible of Marussia to put her in that car. They did it for the attention of a female driver brings coverage and sponsors to a team that otherwise has no reason to be in the news. The Marussia is a horrible car and she was not an experienced enough open wheel driver to be in it. Danica Patrick would have been the kind of female driver youd want to put in an F1 car, but obviously she'd never drive for Marussia.

I hope Marussia are held accountable for this and they are delt with accordingly and Maria is compensated more than fully, i also hope the FIA takes a more strict stance on who get to drive/test these cars.

This is just a disaster for future female drivers coming to F1 as well. Teams were already sceptical...now this just will make them even more hesitant.

[Elitiachirl]

But I have to say this, she shouldnt have been in an F1 car end of story. It has nothing to do with the fact that its a woman driver. Look at her record, she was not really a candidate to be in a F1 car, and she is 32 years old which is just far far too old for an F1 rookie. Im not saying you need to be in your 20s to drive in F1, Schumacher, Barrichello and Coulthard all proved that you dont have to be young...but you have to have shown the ability much earlier on which she never had in these class of vehicle.

She was more than qualified for doing straight tests, only thing she was signed up for (aside of PR point of view), and had no problems with the car before the accident.
Most likely explanation is either car malfunction or anti-stall kicking in when still on 1st gear, thing which reportedly has surprised a lot of F1 rookies, young or not.