1385 replies to this topic

[jrg19]

Reports that the marussia crashed into a stationary vehicle today during test.

[pacificquay]

http://www.bbc.co.uk...eshire-18685789

Sounds serious

[FlashMaster]

"BBC Cambridgeshire presenter Chris Mann, who witnessed the crash, said the the car had completed a circuit when it "suddenly accelerated" into the back of the lorry"

[Disgrace]

I don't like how this story is developing at all.

[Slowinfastout]

Never good to have a confirmation of injury and no details..

[mgs315]

I don't like how this story is developing at all.

Agreed. With nothing announced regarding her health I'm starting to fear the worst.

[mgs315]

It sounds more mechanical to me than driver error so far.

[pacificquay]

Surely the truck should not have been parked within contact distance of the car?

She has driven an F1 car before, this sounds like a mechanical failure.

[Foo-Ha]

It sounds more mechanical to me than driver error so far.

This is second (or third) hand information, but I read on Twitter that the BBC reporter on scene described it as a throttle that may have been stuck open.

[undersquare]

Surely the truck should not have been parked within contact distance of the car?

She has driven an F1 car before, this sounds like a mechanical failure.

Yeah a lorry, Christ, it's hard to think of something more deadly to a racing car driver.

[BrendanMcF]

http://t.co/elfFxlic - Eyewitness report from BBC Cambridgeshire's Chris Mann via audioboo. Air ambulance has been called, Mann says car only doing 20mph at impact

UPDATE: BBC says she has been seriously injured.

Edited by BrendanMcF, 03 July 2012 - 09:47.

[lokiman]

According to Andrew Benson on twitter, she has been seriously injured.

[kraduk]

http://t.co/elfFxlic - Eyewitness report from BBC Cambridgeshire's Chris Mann via audioboo. Air ambulance has been called, Mann says car only doing 20mph at impact

still not nice if it was a normal truck which could have cleared the normal crash structures

[tifosiMac]

The thing that worries me is the fact an Air Ambulance has been called. You don't call an Air Ambulance just to be on the safe side because Ambulance crews would have made this decision and its only done in serious circumstances.

[Zedderick]

Daily Mirror states that she is fighting for her life. I sincerely hope this is just the Mirror being sensationalist and this is an overstatement.

Either way, how terrible.

[Francesc]

According to Andrew Benson on twitter, she has been seriously injured.

Let's hope she recovers.

[Foo-Ha]

The thing that worries me is the fact an Air Ambulance has been called.

Between that, Andrew Benson's report that the injuries are believed to be serious, and the utter silence from Marussia, this is not good at all. This is very bad.

I really hope I'm wrong.

[lokiman]

Let's hope she recovers.

This is truly dreadful. She'd only completed a single installation lap. Presumably, that was the first lap she'd ever driven in the car.

Really hope she comes through OK.

[Slowinfastout]

It sounds really bad.. first thing that springs to mind is likely head injury.. really curious how it happened because I'm not seeing why a F1 car should be on a collision course with a truck, ever..

[undersquare]

Daily Mirror states that she is fighting for her life. I sincerely hope this is just the Mirror being sensationalist and this is an overstatement.

Either way, how terrible.

Ah the Mirror says she crashed into the side of a loading ramp, on the way into the pits. So maybe not an underrun head contact as you would fear. Let's hope.

[Francesc]

Time for the FIA to step in, those straight line tests should be made at proper tracks with walls, not on aircrafts with trucks and no safety walls around.

[Rob]

Time for the FIA to step in, those straight line tests should be made at proper tracks with walls, not on aircrafts with trucks and no safety walls around.

The straight line tests are done on the runway. It sounds like this happened when she was driving back to the team's awning afterwards.

[pRy]

Time for the FIA to step in, those straight line tests should be made at proper tracks with walls, not on aircrafts with trucks and no safety walls around.

Well if they did that, then they'd also have to stop demonstration days because those take place in similar circumstances with a single truck, a tent and some engineers.

If the reports are accurate she was being reversed into the tent area and the car has shot forward and hit the side of the truck. Sounds to me like a freak accident rather than a lack of safety.

[Clatter]

It sounds really bad.. first thing that springs to mind is likely head injury.. really curious how it happened because I'm not seeing why a F1 car should be on a collision course with a truck, ever..

The trucks are usually at the end of the track being used and form the pit area around which they operate from.

[Zedderick]

Ah the Mirror says she crashed into the side of a loading ramp, on the way into the pits. So maybe not an underrun head contact as you would fear. Let's hope.

I really hope so. But I fear the talk of serious injury and air ambulances from a 20-30mph impact suggests something very bad.

I really hope we're all wrong about this - we don't know nearly the full facts yet - and that it is perhaps just a leg injury or something and that makes a full and speedy recovery!

[mechadaniel]

really curious how it happened because I'm not seeing why a F1 car should be on a collision course with a truck, ever..

For those who haven't been to straight line testing at Duxford...

The teams usually setup on the edge of the runway apron with all their support trucks and a marquee to use as a pits area.



The cars drive up a access road to the runway, run each way and then trundle back to the 'pits' via the access road. When they return they are pointing straight at the trucks, if a driver accelerated instead of breaking they would go straight under a truck - but that they would is pretty unimaginable.

Have to wonder when she last drove a car with left foot braking...

[lokiman]

BBC Radio Cambridgeshire reporting Maria de Villota sustained "life threatening injuries" and has been taken to Addenbrookes Hospital

[One]

Terrible news, sounds also like electronics went mad. Life threatning injury in a formula one car that hit the back of lorry. Hope she had her crash helmet on in her car. I hope for the best. remind me of Kubica accident where we experienced the terrifying news being more or less true...

[Red17]

This is probably not the attention Marussia wanted. Hoping the driver is ok.
There will be speculation/updates as more media picks up the story.

The team has made a statement now:
http://www.marussiaf...m.com/news/620/

Edit: Seems there was a Sky crew on the scene.

Edited by Red17, 03 July 2012 - 10:14.

[Petroltorque]

What the.....To crash on what is a constant speed test run must mean catastrphic component failure. I can see the FIA mandatind a superlicence for all F1 testing from now on.

[undersquare]

BBC Radio Cambridgeshire reporting Maria de Villota sustained "life threatening injuries" and has been taken to Addenbrookes Hospital

Oh . Have to worry.

[Rob]

What the.....To crash on what is a constant speed test run must mean catastrphic component failure. I can see the FIA mandatind a superlicence for all F1 testing from now on.

It wasn't even a run. The car was touring back to the team after a run had finished. A superlicence wouldn't prevent this happening.

[Slowinfastout]

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.
'Terrible moment'

"Strangely, the car suddenly accelerated into the lorry and the car went careering into the side of the loading board."

He added: "There was a terrible moment when everyone was just very shocked by the impact and the suddenness of what had happened."

http://www.bbc.co.uk...eshire-18685789

Definitely bad..

[Diablobb81]

Because of what appears to be serious injuries i do think some comments should be held back until we find out more.

Hope she is ok.

[ivand911]

An official team statement followed minutes later:

‘At approximately 09.15hrs BST this morning, the Marussia F1 Team’s Test Driver Maria De Villota had an accident in the team’s MR-01 race car at Duxford Airfield where she was testing the car for the first time. The accident happened at the end of her first installation run and involved an impact with the team’s support truck.

Maria has been transferred to hospital. Once her medical condition has been assessed a further statement will be issued.’

More details will follow when the next bulletin is issued by Marussia.

[undersquare]

This is probably not the attention Marussia wanted. Hoping the driver is ok.
There will be speculation/updates as more media picks up the story.

The team has made a statement now:
http://www.marussiaf...m.com/news/620/

Edit: Seems there was a Sky crew on the scene.

Typical that they can't bring themselves to simply say what happened but have this compulsion to hedge and obfuscate: "involved an impact with the team's support truck" .

Anyway I'll quote this for those who've missed it:

If the reports are accurate she was being reversed into the tent area and the car has shot forward and hit the side of the truck.

[UPRC]

This is my first time even hearing of Maria de Villota. I wish that I could have gotten acquainted with her name under better circumstances. Hoping she'll be okay and make a speedy recovery.

[Massa_f1]

Because of what appears to be serious injuries i do think some comments should be held back until we find out more.

Hope she is ok.

Indeed i thought more people would have a more caring attitude. Its not a matter to joke about. Sounds like a car failure to me.

Edited by Massa_f1, 03 July 2012 - 10:23.

[renaultFan]

Hope she's ok, crash sounds awful

[Maustinsj]

Indeed i thought more people would have a more caring attitude. Its not a matter to joke about. Sounds like a car failure to me.

[ivand911]

Why the car is reversed into the tent area with engine on? I hope she had the latest helmet with titanium plank over the visor.

Edited by ivand911, 03 July 2012 - 10:28.

[Longtimefan]

I really wish her well and hope she gets through this okay.


but she really shouldn't have been in that car, I hope they learn from this and stick to their normal drivers/test drivers.

[BillyWhizz]

Even for the internet forums, I cannot believe the crap some folk think it's funny/acceptable to post up here.

Godspeed Maria de Villota. I hope you make a fast recovery.

Edited by BillyWhizz, 03 July 2012 - 10:28.

[Rob]

but she really shouldn't have been in that car, I hope they learn from this and stick to their normal drivers/test drivers.

It wasn't her fault, it was clearly a component failure.

[silversurf3r]

SSN just spoke with a reporter who was at the test. She stated that the car Was on the way back into the pits when the cars front wheels locked and she collided with the teams truck. She remained in the car for at least 20 mins after the collision and at that point reporters were asked to leave. Doesn't sound good.
Fingers crossed for her.

[kraduk]

I really wish her well and hope she gets through this okay.


but she really shouldn't have been in that car, I hope they learn from this and stick to their normal drivers/test drivers.

we dont know anything yet so it could be anything. If it was her fault though it was obviously just a mistake, and active f1 drivers never make mistakes do they?

[BigWicks]

Simply don't know enough about this yet to make a serious comment, but sounds like someone has really screwed up badly.

[Longtimefan]

we dont know anything yet so it could be anything. If it was her fault though it was obviously just a mistake, and active f1 drivers never make mistakes do they?

I never said it was her fault, I wasn't blaming her at all, I just hope she gets through this.

[Francesc]

Why the car is reversed into the tent area with engine on? I hope she had the latest helmet with titanium plank over the visor.

Exactly. This is what I'm asking myself.

[Peat]

The data logging will reveal if it was driver or hardware error very soon. Until then, speculation is just ********. A lady, regardless of her credentials, is fighting for her life from doing something we all love. Have some effing humility!