Injured Lancaster to miss race two

The Briton was battling for fifth place with Dani Clos and Jean-Karl Vernay when he struck the rear of the latter's car and was thrown into an end-over-end roll.

Lancaster landed heavily on the track and collected the rear of Clos's car as he slid, upside down, into the gravel.

The circuit's safety crew took 15 minutes to extricate him, still in his seat, from the cockpit of his ART car and he was taken straight to hospital.

It was initially feared that he might have suffered a neck or back injury, but he was released later this afternoon with only minor injuries to his hands and knees.

Although he was lucky to escape more serious injury, Lancaster is disappointed to be missing tomorrow's race.

"I'm basically fine," he told autosport.com. "I'd like to be able to just dust myself off and get back in the car, but I can't put enough pressure on my left leg so I wouldn't be able to brake properly.

"It wouldn't be fair for the guys to work a late night to repair the car for me to drive round at the back, which is all I'd be able to do if I can't hit the brakes hard enough."

The accident happened under braking for the left hander in the Mercedes Arena. Lancaster was close behind Vernay on the inside of the track when the Frenchman appeared to brake early, although off line, and Lancaster's front right wheel struck Vernay's left rear wheel, launching him into the air.

"I wasn't even trying to pass him there," said Lancaster. "I was close enough that if he moved back to the right to take the normal line I would go for the inside, or if he didn't I'd just follow him round the corner. But before we got there he braked a lot earlier than I was expecting and there was no time for me to react.

"I didn't think I was too badly hurt. The extrication and stretcher were just precautions that the circuit takes. My back and neck felt alright, I was more worried about my knees because they took a bang when I landed.

"It's a shame to end my first weekend in F3 like this because it was going well and I definitely had the pace to be up there, but these things happen in racing and you just have to get on with it. I'll just watch the races tomorrow and see what I can learn."