One of the big moments in yesterday’s Monaco GP was when the leading trio of Vettel, Alonso and Button caught up with a group of cars fighting among themselves on lap 68. They were Maldonado, Sutil, Hamilton, Petrov and Alguersuari. They all came together at the Swimming Pool, where Sutil and Hamilton damaged their cars while Petrov and Alguersuari crashed out. The leaders scrambled past the melee.
While Toro Rosso’s young Spaniard walked away immediately unhurt, Vitaly Petrov was clearly hurt in his Lotus Renault R31. The safety car was out, and the ambulance too, which drove the Russian to Princess Grace hospital. While Vitaly complained about his left ankle to the medical crew, no fracture had been diagnosed at the circuit and further checks in the hospital revealed no swelling or broken bones.
When asked, the LRGP driver said: “I’m fine, thank you. It’s been a big crash but I’m ok. First of all, I would like to thank all my fans for all their well wishes, the medical teams at the circuit, the hospital for their efficient and friendly assistance, and the team for their concern.
“After the impact, I could not feel my legs very well. I thought it was best for the medical team to assist with removing me from the car as it was difficult for me to move and my legs were trapped in the cockpit. I did not lose consciousness but I was in quite a lot of pain when I was inside the car,” he explained.
Good to hear that he’s fine. The crashes over the weekend is a testament to the safety of today’s F1 cars.
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