Heikki Kovalainen's crash during the 2010 Race of Champions
Lotus Formula 1 driver Heikki Kovalainen is under several days bed rest for a concussion he suffered during his crash at this weekend's Race of Champions (ROC). His girlfriend, Catherine Hyde, a passenger in the car at the time, was more severely injured.
Hyde suffered a hiarline fracture of her pelvis and hip and damage to her leg muscles. The crash happened during one of Kovalainen's competition runs in an Audi R8. The right rear suspension failed entering a fairly highspeed turn, sending the car into an uncontrollable slide and through a movable barrier before hitting the outer wall.
Kovalainen was knocked unconscious for 30 seconds in the accident. He says his head "took a big hit," though not nearly as big a hit as fellow F1 driver Felipe Massa suffered during practice for last year's Hungarian Grand Prix.
It's unlikely that the fit Finn will suffer any long-term damage from the accident, or that it will affect his standing with Lotus F1, as Lotus is one of the six teams that have committed to their 2010 driver lineup.
[GMMF1]
