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Villota crash due to negligence?
Maria De Villota leaves hospital 'in a good condition'
F1 driver Maria de Villota loses eye after crash
Female Driver Sees F1 'Possibilities' for 2012

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Villota crash due to negligence?


Top International Automibile Federation official Charlie Whiting has described Maria de Villota's crash as a "one in five million" freak accident.

Whiting said: "It was so incredibly unfortunate."

There have been suggestions that Marussia was at fault for putting an inexperienced driver, who does not have an FIA superlicence, at the wheel of a powerful 2012 single-seater.

'Incredibly bad luck'

The fact that a truck was parked nearby with its tail lift positioned at visor height has also raised questions about negligence.

Whiting said: "I think that if Felipe (Massa)'s accident (in 2009) was one in a million, then Maria's was one in five million. The circumstances were just so unique that it was just incredibly bad luck."

Whiting said that, even at the time of Villota's incident, the FIA was already looking at ways to better protect a driver's head.

"With the kind of protection we are studying, an accident like that would be unlikely, but also the chances of repeating these same circumstances are so remote," he said. "We're looking more at the case of an impact with a wheel, because this can happen several times in a year.

"Maria's circumstances may never occur again."

Referring again to protection studies, he continued: "We can only do it as fast as we can, because it's a very complicated matter. In Maria's case, yes it (head protection with hoops) would have worked, but perhaps in many other cases the problems would be worse, like extraction or visibility.

"We have to make sure we aren't making something better for one type of accident but worse for three more."

Villota Awake

The Kolner Express said members of the Marussia team have been banned from talking about the Villota incident.

Peter Sauber was quoted as saying: "I know as much as you do - or even less."

De Villota has reportedly woken up from an artificial coma and is speaking to her family.
Source: www.wheels24.co.za/FormulaOne/De-Villota-crash-due-to-negligence-20120709

Maria De Villota leaves hospital 'in a good condition'


De Villota required two operations at Addendrooke's Hospital in Cambridge in the wake of a crash at Duxford Airfield that saw the 32-year-old Spaniard run into the tailgate of a stationary service vehicle at the end of an installation run whilst conducting a straightline aero test.

She was admitted to Madrid's La Paz hospital last week and has since undergone plastic surgery, and a statement from the hospital released on her behalf revealed she has not suffered any neurological injuries.

"The patient is in good general condition, so she was discharged from hospital yesterday," the statement read.

"In these six days, she has been treated by specialists of the plastic and neurological surgery services, and the ophthalmology department, who will continue to follow her, as she will need to undergo periodical checks and treatments.

"As announced previously, the patient has lost her right eye, as a consequence of the serious trauma suffered, and she will be closely followed by the ophthalmology service.

"The specialists of the plastic surgery service will be responsible for following the serious injuries to her face and correcting the effects of those."
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/marussia/9428687/Maria-De-Villota-leaves-hospital-in-a-good-condition-after-horror-crash-while-test-driving-Formula-One-car.html

 

F1 driver Maria de Villota loses eye after crash


Marussia, the Formula One team of Spanish race car driver Maria de Villota, is reporting that its 32-year-old driver has lost her right eye and remains hospitalized following a bizarre accident at a test event earlier this week. Teammates have described her condition as critical but stable.

After joining the team in March, De Villota was behind the wheel of the team's racing car for the first time on Tuesday, conducting straight-line test runs at Duxford Airfield in Cambridgeshire, north of London. The Spaniard apparently crashed into a team vehicle (reported as racecar transport truck) at the end of a run at low speeds, but her head took the brunt of the impact - explaining the serious injuries to her head and face.

Maria de Villota is the F1's first full-time female driver since 1992. The team principal, John Booth, has already announced that a comprehensive investigation is under way to determine why her car suddenly accelerated as she was slowing to complete the test.
Source: www.autoblog.com/2012/07/05/f1-driver-maria-de-villota-loses-eye-after-crash/

Female Driver Sees F1 'Possibilities' for 2012


Maria de Villota insists “there are real possibilities” she will be a regular in the Formula One paddock next year.

The 31-year-old Spanish female driver tested a 2009 Renault at Paul Ricard in August, and earlier this month she re-appeared in the car during the World Series race weekend at Barcelona.

She told the Spanish news agency Europa Press that she is getting “closer” to securing a job in Formula One for 2012.

“The first test we did in August went so well that it helped to accelerate more possibilities,” said de Villota.

She said her short-term objective is to “be in Formula One in 2012.”

De Villota, the daughter of former F1 driver Emilio de Villota, said her Superleague races alongside former F1 drivers Antonio Pizzonia and Enrique Bernoldi had convinced her she is capable of contesting Grands Prix.

“While I have great respect for them, I do not see an uneven playing field,” she said.

“Physically – yes I know – I have to work harder, but as an athlete and a driver I feel that with proper training and with the experience that I need, I think I can do it very well.”

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