Mick Schumacher, Haas, Jeddah Corniche Circuit, 2022

Schumacher “in good condition” and being checked in hospital after huge qualifying crash

2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

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Mick Schumacher appears to be in good shape, his team have said, following a heavy impact with the barriers during qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The Haas driver lost control of his car on a kerb at the exit of turn 10. His car snapped sideways and the right-hand side of his car struck the barrier hard. Much of that side of the car was destroyed, and the Haas came to a stop a long way from the scene of the impact.

The session was red-flagged immediately while the medical team attended Schumacher. Haas later confirmed the driver appears to have no significant injuries.

“Mick is physically in a good condition but will be flown by helicopter to hospital for further precautionary check-ups,” said the team in a statement.

Schumacher was seen being taken from the circuit by helicopter. The FIA confirmed he is undergoing checks at a nearby hospital.

“The FIA advises that an incident occurred during qualifying for the 2022 FIA Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix today, 26/03/22, involving car number 47, Mick Schumacher,” read a statement from the governing body.  

“Assessment at the Medical Centre revealed no injuries, and he has been transferred to King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah, for precautionary checks.”

Schumacher is the second driver to be taken to hospital after a crash this weekend. Cem Bolukbasi sustained a concussion in a crash at the same corner during the Formula 2 practice session yesterday, and was ruled out of the rest of the weekend.

His team principal Guenther Steiner said it did not appear as though anything had failed on the car prior to the crash.

“It seems like he has gone on the kerb but then just lost the car,” he told Sky. “Double wheelspin and you know how quick it goes.

“But it doesn’t seem there was no breakage or anything, we couldn’t see anything. We just lost all the data as well, immediately, on the impact – we had no contact with him and no data anymore, it just cut everything off. I guess with the impact just everything was destroyed.”

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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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14 comments on “Schumacher “in good condition” and being checked in hospital after huge qualifying crash”

  1. The barrier impacted was the same concrete wall that concussed F2’s Cem Bolukbasi yesterday. I wonder whether replacing that with a Tecpro was one of the safety improvements that FIA recommended but was not implemented in the brief months since the last race. Perhaps unlikely, as I don’t member seeing any crashes at this corner last year. It’s something we should have foreseen, but to be fair, I missed it until seeing the violence of yesterday’s F2 crash. Obviously, it now needs changing, but I’m not sure how practical that would be before tomorrow’s race.
    I was watching live on board, and unfortunately, the in-car camera cut out at the moment he ran wide onto the outside kerb, so the impact footage may not exist. This could have indicated whether Mick’s helmet might have struck the halo in the same way the Leclerc did last year in Jeddah, and like Jack Harvey did in the Texas Indy practice last weekend. But with the speed of impact and the solidity of the wall, it’s certainly conceivable, although the angle of impact was not the front quarter in first, which is the most susceptible to the driver’s helmet vertically clearing the lower forward cockpit surround padding.
    I am very concerned that we are not learning the lesson about helmet hitting halos, and this loss of footage may repeat a failure to learn this. But perhaps the 360 degree and/or high speed camera might at least alert the governing body.
    They must soon raise the cockpit padding and widen the halo/aeroscreens across all single seaters.
    Lastly, although this year the F1 tyres/wheels have now increased to around 20kg, I was worried that I’d not heard of any regulation to increase the strength of the wheel retention tethers to correspond with the assembly’s increased weight. If that hasn’t been done, then it should be done for next year. I’m not saying that in an accident as violent as this, the wheel should have been retained, but it’s clearly prudent to try to keep previous years’ retention levels by uprating the tethers.

    1. From what I could tell, it looked like the tethers worked but the tyres came off the wheel. Similar to Max in Britain last year. I’d have to see the replay again. The barrier definitely needs changing. Such a horrible accident.

  2. The most important thing is being okay, but could he even get forced to withdraw from the race?
    I don’t entirely rule out this possibility.

    1. RandomMallard
      26th March 2022, 19:19

      @jerejj Cem Bolukbasi has been ruled out of the entire F2 weekend after his Practice crash yesterday, so I also don’t think it’s out of the question. Mick must really not like this track by now…

  3. Best wishes for Mick.

    Dangerous track in an unsafe country. Please stop this.

  4. Time to ditch this track regardless of where it’s built. And FIA to learn lessons about designing a track with hazardous corners put on purpose.

  5. It’s a terrible circuit and I have no clue how they got accreditation for F1.

    Fortunately Schumacher isn’t seriously injured from this accident.

    1. Will have to disagree: Its a wonderful circuit with fast flowing corners and visible bravery required – one of the best on the calendar in fact – so hope they keep it. Having said that, it is obviously more dangerous than the average Tilke-drome… so hopefully compromises can be found so the spirit of the track can be retained, while the risk of certain dangerous impacts is reduced.
      (ps. first of all, it could be an idea to reduce the height of the curbs used as the bump seems to particularly destabilise the cars in locations with very little run-off.)

      1. …then you would have ‘enjoyed’ those crashes galore in F2 race earlier.

        Tracks like this turns F1 into blood sport..

        1. I have no interest in watching crashes at all, but drivers having to be both precise and courageous does appeal. However, before we start calling it blood sport I think its important to ask the drivers.. and I recall Bottas last year with a massive grin on his face calling it a great track. Lets say the drivers democratically voted to get rid of it, then ok, but Im not seeing that reaction. If theyre not that afraid, or even enjoying themselves, then perhaps we shouldnt be so outraged on their behalf.

  6. Get well soon Mick ! Ocon was about to crash in the exact same spot. Even the casual fans were telling that this only a matter of time before someone will get seriously hurt with the new cars not completely mature and understood in terms of balance and stability. I don’t see the point of racing in this circuit to be honest.

  7. Dutchguy (@justarandomdutchguy)
    26th March 2022, 19:37

    This track needs to go. seriously.

  8. It’s an old fashion track, dangerously so. Speed speed send more speed. Blind corners with nothing to offer except the prospect of more high speed crashes.

    Add to this porpoising cars ,eg grip no grip, chancing along on those high speed corners..

  9. They should change that kerb, you can see how both Mick and Esteban went wide and the kerb spits them out all wrong

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