German teenager Sophia Floersch has suffered a spinal fracture in a terrifying 270km/h crash at the Formula 3 street race at Macau.
Floersch, 17, was sent hurtling into the barriers lining the edge of the race track when her car vaulted over another car. Videos from the grandstands do not show the lead-up to the crash, although it later emerged Floersch had tangled with another rival on the flat-out run down to the Lisboa corner.
She then lost control of her damaged car and was launched over the kerbs and another competitor’s vehicle. Speed-trap data from the braking zone of that corner shows Floersch had been travelling at 276.2 km/h.
Hier de Macau-crash van Sophia Floersch nog van een ander camerastandpunt op de tribune. De snelheid en impact is echt ongelofelijk! Hopelijk is niet alleen Sophia, maar iedereen daar ongedeerd. Nog altijd geen updates. #MacauGP pic.twitter.com/FqZzVwu1q8
— Rob van Gameren (@VanGamerenF1) November 18, 2018
The damage to the barriers briefly halted the race. Macau GP organisers said Floersch was conscious and taken to hospital, with a spinal fracture later given as the initial diagnosis. The teenager later tweeted to say she was OK and and confirmed she will have surgery on Monday.
Just wanted to let everybody know that I am fine but will be going into Surgery tomorow morning. Thanks to the @fia and @hwaag_official @MercedesAMGF1 who are taking great care of me.
Thanks to everybody for the Supporting messages.
Update soon.— Sophia Floersch (@SophiaFloersch) November 18, 2018
The car hit an area populated with photographers and race marshals and four others were sent to hospital with Floersch. The driver of the car Floersch vaulted over, Sho Tsuboi, was sent for lumbar pain.
The injured marshal, Chan Cha In, suffered a laceration of the face and a fractured jaw. Two photographers at the corner were also taken to hospital — Chan Weng Wang sustained a liver laceration and is being observed, while Hiroyuki Minami suffered a concussion.
The race, which also featured newly-crowned F3 champion Mick Schumacher, was eventually won by Red Bull junior driver Dan Ticktum.