Sebastian Vettel shocked by Carlos Sainz's crash

10 October 2015 04:16

Sebastian Vettel said he was left shocked by Carlos Sainz's harrowing crash in final practice for the Russian Grand Prix.

Sainz will spend the night in a nearby hospital after he lost control of his Toro Rosso as he approached turn 13 at close to 200mph - the fastest section of the circuit which runs through Sochi's Olympic Park.

He then slammed into the nearside wall, destroying the front left of his car, before careering head-on into the tyre barrier. The Tecpro barrier deployed at turn 13 is designed to absorb the impact of a high-speed crash, but on this occasion it appeared to lift up with Sainz's Toro Rosso buried underneath.

"It was shocking to see he was so deep in the barriers and he was covered by them, too," said Vettel, who will start from fourth on the grid in Sunday's race.

"The idea is not for the barriers to come on top of you or the car go under, so it is something we need to understand.

"I don't know why if there was anything wrong with the way they installed the Tecpro barriers or if was just coincidence the way he crashed into them. I am sure that is something that needs to be avoided."

Sainz, who is competing in his debut grand prix campaign, will be assessed by a doctor on Sunday morning. The Spaniard is hopeful of returning to the grid, and tweeted a pictured from his hospital bed after the crash.

His Toro Rosso team-mate Max Verstappen also suffered a high-speed accident at Monaco last year, but, in contrast, his car was absorbed by the barrier and he emerged from his cockpit moments later. On Saturday, it took the on-track medical team 20 minutes to extract Sainz.

Verstappen, who qualified an impressive ninth later in qualifying, said: "It was not ideal. The crash I had in Monaco was better so they have to find a solution and it should not happen that the barrier goes up as it can hit his head.

"The drivers will talk about it, that is for sure, and they will solve it for next year."

Verstappen, who says he will speak to Sainz by phone or visit him in his hospital bed later on Saturday, added: "I heard he wants to go out again because he is telling the doctors 'please let me go', so hopefully he can make it for tomorrow."

Source: PA