Premat escapes horrific Adria crash
Audi and Mercedes have hailed the safety of the current DTM cars after Alexandre Premat walked away from a horror shunt at Adria
The Frenchman's Audi A4 speared into the wall opposite the pits at the end of the first lap after he was clipped by Maro Engel.
The car hit the wall hard, and as it spun around after the impact it dug into the ground and rolled several times.
The crumpled remains of the Audi came to rest up against the wall, and Premat ejected himself from the cockpit just a few seconds later.
Audi Sport boss Wolfgang Ullrich said: "I spoke to Alex soon after the accident, and it looks like he is fine.
"We can be very proud of the cars that we have built in the DTM. The rulebook keeps safety as the first priority, and that will remain the case with the next generation of cars."
Ullrich also urged caution regarding Premat's condition though, as he was sent for further medical checks after seeing doctors at the circuit.
"It seems that Alexandre is fine, but I am really careful because I remember the accident we had [in 2007] with Tom Kristensen. At the first moment it looked like Tom was fine, but we learned after more checks that the situation was different. We have to be realistic and wait and see."
Mercedes-Benz motorsport boss Norbert Haug also praised the safety of the cars.
"Safety has always been the centre of our attention," he said. "This is the most important thing.
"The accident looked shocking, but it looks like Alexandre is fine. The most important point is that nothing serious has happened to him.
"Lots of people have worked to create the safety cell that we have at the moment, because this is the most important part of what we do. Total safety can never exist, but we can always work towards continued improvement."
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