Marussia: de Villota crash was simply an accident

When Marussia´s Spanish test driver Maria de Villota crashed her car during the start of a two-day testing session at Duxford Airfield, it was a simple mistake. This is expected as the claim of the Marussia team, who is tipped to reveal a final conclusion of the events in a few days.

The German publication Auto Motor und Sport, made a report on the accident and calculated angles and trajectory. According to them, de Villota’s crash happened because de Villota struggled to find the clutch lever ‘as the steering wheel was not in the normal 9 and 3 o’clock position’. This is apparently due to the fact that from the pit exit to the makeshift pit garage, a couple of tents erected, is curved. De Villota forgot to push the neutral button, and the combination of this, cold tyres and cold brakes, she was hurled forward into the back of a team truck´s loading ramp. Or ‘doing the wrong thing at the wrong time’, as Auto Motor Und Sport says.

Marussia has already ruled out a failure to the car, and an external investigation is now underway, thought this is expected to take a long time before a final conclusion is found. The team´s conclusion is expected in a few days, and in this we will receive details about what caused the  “chain of unfortunate circumstances and mistakes”.

Maria de Villota spend 17 days at the Addenbrooke´s Hospital before being released to a local Spanish hospital, from which she has been released. De Villota sustained skull fracture and also had her right eye surgical removed. She is recovering at her home, with friends and family.

Maria de Villota returns home

Spanish F1 driver Maria de Villota has been released fom hospital, and have returned to her home in Spain.

Following her freak accident at Duxford Airfield 18 days ago, de Villota suffered serious head injuries and unfortunately lost her right eye, as doctors worked tirelessly to work on her skull and eye.

De Villota was just starting a few test days for Marussia, when the accident happened. After coming to a halt, after a short lap on the track, de Villota suddenly rushed forward and straight into the back of a parked truck. Unfortunately the loading ramp was down at that moment, and it pierced the visor of Maria´s helmet, causing the damage to her skull and eye. She was talen to a nearby trauma center, where she received treatment, and is now back home.

Marussia issued this statement:

‘Over the course of the past two weeks, María has made significant progress. More comfortable and familiar surroundings, plus the support of her wider family and friends, will undoubtedly provide a more conducive environment in which María can commence the next phase of her recovery.

The Marussia F1 Team have remained in close contact with the medical team at Addenbrooke’s Hospital since Maria’s admittance and would like to express their gratitude for the remarkable care and attention that she has received there.

The Marussia F1 Team – the staff, race drivers Timo Glock and Charles Pic and all those associated with the Team – wish Maria well with the next stage of her recovery. The management team will continue to liaise closely with María and her family and provide any assistance possible during the coming months.’

Marussia statement on Maria de Villota

The Marussia team has issued a statement, in regards to the accident involving Maria de Villota.

A thorough investigation has been completed and found that the car was not at fault.

The statement reads:

“14 days after Maria De Villota’s accident at Duxford Airfield, the Marussia F1 Team has now completed its own detailed investigation into the cause of the crash.

The accident occurred on 3 July during a straight-line test, at which Maria was making her testing debut for the Team and driving an F1 car for the fourth time in her career.

The Marussia F1 Team conducted an initial analysis immediately after the crash. This aimed to identify the causes and contributory factors behind the accident and also served to determine if there were any car-related implications for the impending British Grand Prix. Having carefully examined all the data and supplementary information available at that time, the Team were satisfied that there were no such car-related issues and cleared its chassis for race weekend participation.

Following its initial investigation, the Team proceeded to carry out further detailed analysis of the accident. An external forensic investigation was commissioned and carried out at Duxford Airfield (a FIA-approved and much used testing venue, compliant with the recommendations for a test of this nature) and with the team at the Marussia Technical Centre in Banbury. This external analysis has been carried out autonomously of the team’s own internal investigation.

As would be normal procedure, the Team’s findings have been shared with the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), the independent UK regulator which acts in the public interest in respect of work-related accidents.

John Booth, Team Principal of the Marussia F1 Team, commented: “We are satisfied that the findings of our internal investigation exclude the car as a factor in the accident. We have shared and discussed our findings with the HSE for their consideration as part of their ongoing investigation. This has been a necessarily thorough process in order to understand the cause of the accident. We have now concluded our investigatory work and can again focus on the priority, which continues to be Maria’s wellbeing. In that regard, we continue to support Maria and the De Villota family in any way we can.”

De Villota undergoes another successful operation

Spanish F1 driver Maria de Villota has undergone further surgery for her facial injuries, which she sustained in a crash on Tuesday, at Duxford Airfield.

The 32 year old woman was just starting her first proper test for the Marussia team, when her car suddenly lunged forward and directy into the back of a team truck parked with the loading ramp in an unfortunate position. De Villota´s head was positioned approximately 70 cm from the ground, but so was the ramp. De Villota hit the ramp with the helmet taking the brunt of the impact, leaving her with a fractured skull and several facial injuries.

Tuesday and Wednesday she was in surgery, but the doctors was not able to save her right eye. Her condition has been lowered from critical to serious and she remains stable. Friday de Villota was once again in surgery, the doctors performing the operation said it went as planned and it was successful. Marussia issued a statement on Friday evening.

“Earlier today, Maria underwent further surgery at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. This was a planned procedure that would depend upon the continued stability of Maria’s head injuries, and this morning the medical team were sufficiently happy with her progress to allow the operation to go ahead,” the statement said.

“Earlier today, the surgeons successfully completed the next phase of surgery required to address Maria’s facial injuries. After the lengthy initial procedure, which commenced on Tuesday and concluded on Wednesday, today’s secondary operation took significantly less time.

“Since the operation today, Maria’s condition in relation to the head trauma she received has further improved, to the extent that she is now ‘serious but stable’.

“Whilst Maria remains acutely ill, this confirms that she has been responding well to the treatment she has received since her accident. Coupled with the significant progress that has been made with regard to her facial injuries, we feel sufficiently comfortable to proceed with a further update.

“On a more personal note, we have taken a great deal of encouragement from today’s developments and the rather more positive signs for Maria’s family.”

Maria has lost an eye

Marussia has issued a statement regarding the condition of their test driver, Maria de Villota, who suffered a terrible crash on Tuesday.

The statement reads:

“Further to the accident at Duxford Airfield yesterday involving the Marussia F1 Team Test Driver, Maria De Villota, the Team can now provide a further update on Maria’s medical condition.

Subsequent to yesterday’s official statements from the Marussia F1 Team, the surgical team at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge embarked on a lengthy procedure to address the serious head and facial injuries sustained by Maria in the accident. The operation began yesterday afternoon and she was in theatre until this morning. Maria remains in a critical but stable condition.

John Booth, Team Principal of the Marussia F1 Team, with the consent and support of Maria’s family, would like to give the following update, which provides as much detail as is possible at this time:

“Maria emerged from theatre at Addenbrooke’s Hospital this morning after a lengthy operation to address the serious head and facial injuries she received in the accident at Duxford Airfield yesterday.

“We are grateful for the medical attention that Maria has been receiving and her family would like to thank the Neurological and Plastics surgical teams. However it is with great sadness that I must report that, due to the injuries she sustained, Maria has lost her right eye.

“Maria’s care and the wellbeing of her family remain our priority at this time. Her family are at the hospital and we are doing everything possible to support them.

“We ask for everyone’s patience and understanding with regard to updates on Maria’s condition. We will provide further information when it is appropriate to do so and with consideration for her family.

“In the meantime, we would all like to take this opportunity to praise the emergency services at Duxford Airfield, who were on stand-by yesterday, as is usual procedure for a Formula One test.

“With regard to the accident, we have embarked on a very comprehensive analysis of what happened and this work continues for the moment.

“Finally, we have been overwhelmed by messages of support for Maria, her family and the Team and we would like to express our sincere gratitude for those.”

Maria de Villota undergoes skull surgery

After her terrible accident Tuesday morning at Duxford, Maria de Villota was on the operating table undergoing surgery to her skull.

De Villota was involved in a low-speed crash on Tuesday morning, when the Marussia MR-01 she was piloting, suddenly accelerated from a standstill and into the back of a truck. Unfortunately the loading bay of the truck was lowered, and de Villota struck the large steel plate head-on. She was taken to Addenbrooke´s Hospital to undergo trauma treatment, where the medic team discovered a skull fracture.

According to German Auto Motor und Sport, de Villota fractured her skull and also is in danger of losing sight on at least one of her eyes. Doctors were working on de Villota Tuesday afternoonand Graeme Lowdon, Marussia´s chief executive said that the situation ‘looks a bit better’, than yesterday.

“We are currently waiting for news about how the operation is going, and then we’ll see what part of or if the brain is affected,” said Spanish FIA official Carlos Gracia, who spoke to radio station Cadena Ser. “I would like to believe that Maria is no longer in danger, but only the doctors can judge that and there are so many conflicting reports — as we know, these things take on a life of their own,” he added.

Maria de Villota is conscious

After being involved in a terrible crash this morning, Marussia´s test driver Maria de Villota is now conscious in a Cambridge hospital.

Early reports were sketchy and rumours quickly started appearing online, but it is certain that de Villota accidentally struck the loading ramp of a team truck parked by one side of the makeshift pit area at Duxford Airfield, in such a way, that her head was level with the ramp. Maria de Villota was seen surrounded by team members as they scrambled to help her, as the ramp had covered the front of the car and most of the driver cockpit.

She was taken to the nearby Addenbrooke´s Hospital, where she is currently undergoing treatment for head and facial trauma. The full extend of her injuries are yet to be disclosed, but the latest information from the Marussia team is that she is conscious.

“Further to the accident involving the Marussia F1 Team’s Test Driver Maria De Villota this morning, the team can confirm that Maria was transferred by ambulance from Duxford Airfield, where the accident happened, to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.

“Since Maria’s arrival at the hospital at approximately 10.45hrs this morning, she has been receiving the best medical attention possible at the hospital, which is the region’s major trauma centre. Maria is conscious and medical assessments are ongoing. The team will await the outcome of these assessments before providing further comment.

“The team’s first priority at this time is Maria and her family.”

Maria de Villota – what do we know so far?

Maria de Villota, Marussia´s test driver, has been involved in a serious accident on Tuesday morning, while participating in a two-days test at the Duxford Airfield.

The 32-year old Spaniard, daughter of former F1 driver Emilio de Villota, started her first test on Tuesday morning, when she got behind the wheel of the MR-01, to test some new parts ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone this weekend. However, shortly after she went to the track to do a formation lap, she returned to the pits. Initial reports were sparse but some indicated that de Villota had either lost control and hit the loading ramp of a team truck going into the pit area or that she had slipped the clutch.

Eye-witnesses confirm that the accident occurred after de Villota had pulled up in front of the mechanics. the car was stationary at the time, but as the team approached the car, to wheel it back into the garage, it suddenly accelerated forwards and crashed heavily into a stationary parked vehicle. As a result, the front of the car was destroyed and Maria´s helmet was seen to take the majority of the impact with the side of the truck.

Emergency services was informed and rushed to the scene, and in the meantime de Villota received assistance by the officials at the track. She was motionless for about 15 minutes as paramedics attended to her but she was seen moving her hands before being transported to Addenbrooke Hospital, some 8 miles north of the airfield.

The East of England ambulance service spokesman, Gary Sanderson, said in a separate statement that the driver had “sustained life-threatening injuries”.

Marussia issued a short statement on the accident:

“At approximately 09.15 BST this morning, the Marussia F1 team’s test driver Maria De Villota had an accident in the team’s MR-01 race car at Duxford Airfield, where she was testing the car for the first time.

“The accident happened at the end of her first installation run and involved an impact with the team’s support truck. Maria has been transferred to hospital. Once her medical condition has been assessed a further statement will be issued.”

racecar-engineering.com had this possible explanation, to what could have happened:

“This sounds very much like the cars anti stall system engaged at the end of the run. Inexperienced drivers having their first runs in a F1 car can be caught out by this. As they slow to stop the car or make a low speed turn (for example into a garage) they lift off the throttle and let the revs drop. The ECU senses this and sets throttle to around 50% with the car still in first gear resulting in a sudden acceleration such as the one described.”

BBC Cambridge presenter Chris Mann, was on the scene, at the time of the accident:

“She got into the car, fired it up and did a test run at probably about 200mph in the rain. The car was slightly misfiring but there didn’t seem to be any concerns.

“She came back into the area we were in with the engineers. She slowed down but then suddenly, inexplicably accelerated through the crowd and smashed into the side of the truck. The top of her car and her helmet seemed to take the brunt of it. She didn’t move for about 15 minutes. Fire crews were there within seconds and the ambulance within minutes.

“After a while we thought we saw some movement of her hands but she appeared to be unconscious or unable to move for quite some time.”

The car of Maria de Villota after the crash

A close up reveals just how the accident happened. The loading ramp of the truck seems to have been positioned at the same height as Maria´s visor on the helmet

A member of the internet community Reddit.com, Cloughie was present at the time of the accident and has provided valuable updates all through the day. He is also responsible for this little graphic explanation: