Unhurt Massa Set to Leave Hospital

Brazilian driver Felipe Massa escaped unhurt after crashing in pre-season testing for the Sauber Formula One team in Barcelona on Wednesday.

Massa was taken to hospital for observation but the 23-year-old told team officials he had suffered no injuries after walking away from the car following the crash early in the test session.

"He is feeling well. He phoned me from hospital to say he was fine and hoped to be released from hospital later today," a team spokeswoman said. "The doctors are just keeping him there a little longer for observation."

A statement on the Circuit de Catalunya website said Massa left the track at the end of the main straight.

"The causes of the accident, which took place at 9.35am (local time) on the fourth lap of the morning testing session are unknown," it read. "The car spun out across the escape gravel and slowed down before hitting the tyre wall where it stopped."

Sauber's head of communications Hanspeter Brack said driver error was not to blame.

"We do not know the reasons for the accident but our engineers say it was not due to driver error," he said. "We now need some time to analyse the car and the parts. The car will be taken back to our factory in Switzerland."