Racing driver Maria de Villota fights for life after F1 crash with lorry

 
Seriously injured: Maria de Villota
3 July 2012

A woman racing driver is fighting for her life after a crash on a test track.

Maria de Villota, a test driver for the Marussia F1 team, was taken to hospital after her car collided with a lorry at Duxford airfield this morning.

Gary Sanderson, a spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service, said: "A woman has sustained life-threatening injuries and following treatment at the scene by paramedics, she has been taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital for further care."

The accident is said to have happened at low speed after Villota pulled off the track following a lap during which she reached speeds of about 200mph.

Chris Mann, Drivetime presenter on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, witnessed the accident.

He said: "She got into the car, fired it up and did a test run at probably about 200mph in the rain.

"The car was slightly misfiring but there didn't seem to be any concerns.

"She came back into the area we were in with the engineers. She slowed down but then suddenly, inexplicably accelerated through the crowd and smashed into the side of the truck.

"The top of her car and her helmet seemed to take the brunt of it.

"She didn't move for about 15 minutes.

"Fire crews were there within seconds and the ambulance within minutes.

"After a while we thought we saw some movement of her hands but she appeared to be unconscious or unable to move for quite some time."

The 32-year-old, originally from Madrid, was taking part in the first of two days of testing at the site.

In a statement, a spokesman for Marussia said: "At approximately 09.15am, 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."

A spokesman for Duxford airfield, home of the Imperial War Museum, said testing had been suspended while team personnel and medics assessed the situation.

Villota is the daughter of retired Formula One driver Emilio de Villota.

This year is the first season the team has competed as Marussia after the Russian sports car manufacturer bought a controlling stake in the former Virgin team.

Timo Glock and Charles Pic drive for its Formula 1 team, which is yet to score any points this season.

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