Burti: It Looked Worse on TV

Brazilian Luciano Burti was very lucky to escape uninjured following a spectacular accident at the start of the German Grand Prix. However, the young Prost driver admitted it looked worse than it actually was.

Burti, starting from sixteenth place, crashed heavily into the back of Michael Schumacher's Ferrari at the start of the race following a problem with the World Champion's car. The Prost took off and rolled before crashing into the barriers and coming to a stop.

The Brazilian walked away unscathed and was able to take the spare car for the second start, but later retired from the race.

"It happened so fast. A few seconds after the start, Michael had a problem, but I could not see him," said Burti. "He slowed down in the middle of the track among all the cars in front me. When I saw him it was too late to avoid the crash.

"I think the accident looked worse on TV than what I experienced in my car and luckily I am not injured. I took the second start in Jean's spare car which, for my surprise, felt even better than mine. I tried to give my best but the pain was growing so much I simply could not drive any longer. I lost the car in a corner and went off. This is bad luck, but I will definitely be all right before Hungary."

Teammate Jean Alesi highlighted a day of mixed fortunes for the Prost drivers, the Frenchman scoring a point after finishing in sixth place.

"It has been a very positive week-end on the technical side and a very important one for the team since we score one more point today," Alesi said. "The Championship is far from being over and we can still improve our position by the end of the season. Each point we gain is a step further towards the achievement of our objectives."