The dangers of motorsport were once more highlighted on the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent on Sunday August 1st. Just two weeks after Francisco Carvalho’s accident in a SEAT Eurocup Series event, which saw the Portuguese flip over the barriers and narrowly miss track officials, an even worse accident took place in the Superleague Formula event.
Superleague Formula is a rapidly improving series, which features ex-Grand Prix drivers Sebastian Bourdais, Robert Doornbos and Narain Karthikeyan, as well as budding rising talent that haven’t been able to make the grade in Formula 3 or GP2. The winning prize is £2million for the driver who triumphs at the end of the season and they race underneath the banner of top European football sides such as Liverpool, AC Milan and Olympiakos.
It was Olympiakos driver Chris van der Drift who was involved in this fiery smash at Brands Hatch ten days ago. Van der Drift, who was in contention for the title tried to snatch fifth spot from AS Roma’s Julien Jousse when he clipped the rear of the Frenchman’s car exiting Surtees. The New Zealander flew through the air at some 20ft, hitting an underside bridge, then landing on the track with some excessive force which crushed his helmet against the track. Van der Drift slid upside down for approximately 100 yards and as the car disintegrated, it even burst into flames. Medics have since admitted that when they arrived at the trackside, they braced to pull his body out of the wreckage. Instead, they found him conscious, though in severe discomfort.
Chris Van der Drift’s injuries were limited to cuts, bruises and a broken ankle. To be honest, he is extremely lucky to be alive.
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