Detroit IndyCar: Rosenqvist crash stops opening race
The opening race of the IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix round has been red-flagged following Felix Rosenqvist’s heavy accident at Turn 6.
Rosenqvist’s Arrow McLaren SP went head-on into the tyre wall on the exit of the corner, after his throttle appeared to jam open as he downshifted. During the huge impact, the concrete barrier behind the tyre wall was pushed over by the severity of the hit, while the tyres were scattered over the catch fencing.
The 29-year-old Swede was conscious but appeared to be in pain as the AMR Safety Team carefully extracted him. The car had come to rest nose-up at a 45-degree angle, as the front was propped up by tyres, which complicated the extrication procedure. He was eventually put on a backboard and was wearing a neck brace and taken into an ambulance.
IndyCar officials have since confirmed "Rosenqvist is awake and alert and is headed to a local hospital for a more definitive evaluation" in an update on Twitter.
Speaking to TV reporters during the red-flag stoppage, IndyCar’s medical director Dr. Geoffrey Billows provided an update on Rosenqvist’s condition: “Felix is doing fine. He’s conscious and alert and was talking the entire time.
“He was having some soreness, but no loss of sensation anywhere, no loss of function. We were able to get him out of the car and bring him to the infield care centre, just for a preliminary examination, he’s stable, his vitals are good but we’re sending him downtown to the hospital for more advanced imaging.”
The race was halted at the end of lap 27, and the other cars trickled to pitlane.
Rosenqvist had been enjoying arguably his best showing of the season, climbing from 14th to third, before his first pitstop.
After an 80-minute delay for barrier repairs, with a new concrete block needed to replace the one damaged by Rosenqvist’s impact, the race has resumed behind the safety car on lap 28.
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