Calderon says Pau Grand Prix F3 crash 'looked worse than it felt'

Ling hit the rear of Calderon's Carlin Dallara on the uphill straight on the opening lap of Sunday's race, and the momentum carried the Chinese driver's Mucke Motorsport car through a 45-degree rotation atop the rear bodywork of the Colombian's car as far forward as the rear rollhoop.

Once Ling's car had crashed back onto the ground, Calderon had the presence of mind to drive as far out of the way of others as possible, next to the barriers at the Pont Oscar bend.

While she was unconcerned about the crash, she was critical of Ling as this portion of the Pau circuit - from the approach to Pont Oscar to the exit of the following Lycee hairpin - is covered by yellow flags on the first lap of racing.

"It didn't feel that bad," said the 22-year-old. "It's yellow flags so we were all in a line.

"He was saying afterwards that he normally brakes at 150 metres there - well, if you have qualified first maybe you can do that!

"They said it was very close to my head, but I didn't feel a thing other than him hitting me twice - it looks worse than what I felt."

But Ling defended himself on Twitter, saying: "In race two [the previous day] I braked at 150 metres on the first lap, and Callum Ilott hit me and my diffuser was broken, so I was afraid to brake early."

Calderon, who finished 15th in the championship last season in a Mucke-run car, has yet to score a point in 2015.

"It's just a shame because I got no running again, and I'd made a good start," she said.