Rosenqvist taken to hospital after heavy crash stops Detroit IndyCar race

A heavy crash involving McLaren SP driver Felix Rosenqvist has caused a stoppage in the first of this weekend’s two IndyCar races in Detroit.

His car made heavy contact with a tyre barrier at the exit of turn six. His Dallara struck the barrier with sufficient force to push back the concrete blocks behind it, and Rosenqvist’s car came to a rest on top of the tyres.

The incident occured on lap 24 of the 70-lap race. The Safety Car was immediately deployed as Rosenqvist was attended to by the recovery team. Four laps later, the race was red-flagged while his extrication from the car was completed. Rosenqvist, who was awake and alert after the crash, was placed on a stretcher and recovered from the scene by ambulance.

Rosenqvist was conscious throughout the crash and has been taken to a nearby hospital for further examination, according to IndyCar’s director of medical services Dr Geoffrey Billows.

“He’s doing fine,” said Dr Billows. “He was conscious and alert the entire time, never lost consciousness. He was talking the entire time. He was having some soreness but had no loss of sensation anywhere, no loss of function.

“We were able to get him out of the car and bring him into the infield care centre just for a preliminary evaluation. And again, the entire time he’s been stable and vitals have been good. We’re sending him downtown to the hospital for some advanced imaging and more definitive evaluation.”

No other car was involved in the incident. Rosenqvist made his first pit stop of the race four laps prior to his crash, prior to which he had run inside the top five.

Video replays of the crash from onboard Rosenqvist’s car indicated his car’s throttle remained open prior to the impact, at a corner where drivers would ordinarily decelerate to around 140kph.

The race is yet to resume. Scott Dixon holds the lead ahead of James Hinchcliffe and Santino Ferrucci. Rosenqvist’s team mate Pato O’Ward, who started from pole position, is sixth.

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