Final practice for the Russian Grand Prix was halted with 20 minutes remaining after Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz suffered a huge accident.
The Spaniard lost control of the rear of his car under braking, striking the wall on the approach to Turn 13. He then continued at high-speed until he hit the barriers at the end of the Turn 13 run-off.
His car went under the TechPro barriers which meant it took several minutes for marshals and medical staff to remove Sainz from the car safely, resulting in a red flagged session.
The21-year-old’s car lost power during the impact and therefore he was unable to confirm his condition over team radio, however he gave a thumbs up when he was placed in the circuit ambulance to be transferred to hospital.
“The driver is conscious, he is OK,” an FIA spokesperson confirmed. “He has had a certain impact, he has been extricated, but the guy is OK.
“He talked to the doctors, so apparently we think he is fine.
“We need to see when he will be a little better, we will see what’s going on, we need to see when the adrenalin is going down.
“He is conscious, he talks, and he even tried to remove his helmet on his own. So it’s really good news.
“He talked to the doctor – this is the most important thing.”
He was later transferred toSochi Hospital 4 by helicopter to undergo further medical checks to confirm his condition.
