Hinchcliffe recovering in intensive care following practice crash
James Hinchcliffe has been ruled out of the cockpit for the foreseeable future as he continues to recover from injuries sustained in a crash during practice for the Indianapolis 500 yesterday
"Words can't describe how thankful I am to the Holmatro Safety Team," Hinchcliffe said.
"Those guys, in addition to the doctors and staff at the hospital, are my heroes. I can't say enough how much I appreciate the outpouring of support from IndyCar fans, my family and fellow drivers.
"We are all one big family, and it feels like that today."
Analysis: The drama at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Canadian remains in the intensive care unit at IU Health Methodist Hospital to undergo further evaluations to injuries he suffered to his pelvic area and upper left thigh.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that the injuries were caused when a suspension component penetrated the cockpit during the crash.
The magnitude of the Schmidt driver's crash is only now becoming apparent.
He suffered a suspension failure in Turn 3, which pitched him into the wall nose-first at more than 228mph. The force of the impact was claimed to exceed 125G.
Hinchcliffe suffered substantial blood loss in the accident, and Dr Timothy Pohlman - the senior staff trauma surgeon at IU Health Methodist who operated on him yesterday - admitted that his condition was serious when he arrived at the hospital.
"He's stable and improving," said Dr. Pohlman.
"His condition was critical upon his arrival and I think the IndyCar system as a whole needs to be commended for how well they can take care of drivers in this situation."
Hinchcliffe had qualified 24th for Sunday's race. The team is yet to confirm who will take over its #5 Honda-powered entry.
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