(dpa) - Finnish Formula 1
driver Heikki Kovalainen was recovering well Monday from the spectacular crash
he suffered during the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.
"I don't remember anything from the accident or what happened
afterwards," Kovalainen said, in comments posted on the McLaren- Mercedes
website.
The team said that medical examination confirmed that the driver has "no
head injuries and no broken bones" as a result of the accident in Sunday's
race, and that he was set to be released late Monday from the Hospital General
de Catalunya in Sant Cugat del Valles near Barcelona.
The left front tyre of Kovalainen's car burst, causing him to lose control and
crash at high speed into a wall of tyres. The Finn was stretchered to the
medical centre on the course and later airlifted to a hospital.
"The team has established that Heikki's speed was approximately 240 kmh
when the tyre deflated and about 130 kmh when he hit the tyre barrier,"
McLaren-Mercedes said in its website.
According to team boss Martin Whitmarsh, the accident was due to a defective
alloy rim.
Kovalainen was recovering well Monday.
"I have a slight headache and a stiff neck, but apart from that I am
feeling well and in good spirits. My focus is on getting better as soon as
possible, so I can pass the FIA medical inspection required to allow me to race
in Turkey," the driver said.
McLaren-Mercedes said only that they expected Kovalainen to "stay in Spain
for a few days relaxing before returning home to start a light training
programme."
Whitmarsh said Monday that the crash left the Finn unconscious, but that he
suffered no lasting damage.
"Heikki was briefly unconscious, but he was lucid soon after the accident,
and I'm told he was actually quite jolly, which is fairly typical," he
said. "He has had a full head scan, and there is no significant bruising
or damage - that's extremely good news."
The race in Barcelona was won by Kovalainen's Ferrari compatriot Kimi
Raikkonen. The next race is the Turkish Grand Prix on May 11 in Istanbul.