Rosenqvist taken to hospital after heavy crash stops Detroit IndyCar race

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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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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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7 comments on “Rosenqvist taken to hospital after heavy crash stops Detroit IndyCar race”

  1. RandomMallard (@)
    12th June 2021, 20:35

    Wow not a good evening for sport. First Christian Eriksen in the football, and now this on the other side of the pond. Hope both recover fully!

    1. petebaldwin (@)
      12th June 2021, 20:56

      Saw Eriksen’s one live – horrific….. So happy he’s awake and stable now!

    2. Glad that they are in a stable condition.

  2. Stuck throttle ! Almost never seen it in 25 years of following both F1 & Indycar. That was nasty.
    Hoping for a speedy recovery Rosenqvist.

  3. CD (@clipperdael)
    12th June 2021, 21:34

    The onboard was absolutely terrifying – imagine sitting in a car that’s accelerating towards a wall by itself. Glad he seems okay. or at least not as badly hurt as he might have been.

  4. That was savage. He’s going to be fine.

  5. Horrible deacceleration. Glad he is ok

Comments are closed.