Williams' Fisher Injured in Motorcycle Accident

Williams chief designer Gavin Fisher has sustained serious injuries as a result of a motorcycle accident in southern California, the Formula One team said.

40-year old Fisher is in a stable condition in a hospital south of Los Angeles following surgery. Williams said Fisher's convalescence before returning to the UK is expected to take approximately three weeks.

The team, however, did not reveal what type of injuries Fisher had sustained.

"I spoke to Gavin over the weekend, and thankfully the surgery he underwent immediately after his accident appears to have been successful, but he will be unable to fly back to the UK for some weeks," said Williams' technical director Sam Michael.

Fisher's role will be filled by Mark Loasby, a senior design engineer employed at Williams for over 14 years.

"It is fortunate that we have strength in depth in the design office, and Mark Loasby will cover Gavin's post during his recuperation," Michael added. "Much of the fundamental layout work for the FW27 is underway. We wish Gavin all the best for a speedy recovery."