Finn sustained bruises to leg and ankle in 47G barrier impact; Kimi's participation in test in doubt but Ferrari expect him to be fit for German GP in two weeks
Sunday 6 July 2014 19:24, UK
Kimi Raikkonen's heavy race-stopped accident during the British GP could force the Ferrari driver out of next week's test at Silverstone.
The 34-year-old crashed heavily on the opening lap of Sunday's race to bring out the red flag which caused an hour's suspension of the event while organisers completed trackside repairs. With the impact measuring a massive 47G, Raikkonen was immediately taken to circuit's medical centre for a mandatory check-up.
"At turn 5, I went off the track and while trying to get back on, I must have hit a kerb. I then lost control of the car and ended in the barriers," said Raikkonen in the team's official press release.
Despite the verocity of the accident and the sight of the Finn walking gingerly away from his stricken F14 T, a Ferrari spokesman confirmed after the race that the Finn had sustained no more than bruises to his leg and ankle.
"Fortunately, he is okay, with no serious injuries and that’s the most important thing," added technical chief Pat Fry.
However, with the team stating that the most important thing for their driver to do now was "rest", a Scuderia spokesman admitted that Raikkonen's scheduled day in the F14 T on the Wednesday of this week's two-day test at Silverstone could be shelved in order to ensure the driver was fully fit for the German GP in a fortnight's time.
It's possible that Jules Bianchi, the Marussia driver who graduated through Ferrari's young driver academy, could replace the Finn.
Speaking to the media later on Sunday evening, Ferrari Team Principal Marco Mattiacci suggested that although a decision on the driver's participation at the test had still to be made, he wouldn't be taking any risks with the former World Champion's fitness.
"Kimi's okay. We checked several times and I think that we are taking a decision about what to do with the test," he said.
"So we still have to take a decision. I want to be 100 per cent sure that he's super fine, but no major issue at the moment."
Raikkonen's spectacular exit from Sunday's race ended a weekend to forget to the Finn after both he and team-mate Fernando Alonso had been shocked Q1 casulaties in rain-affected qualifying on Saturday.
Starting the race from 18th place, Raikkonen was forced wide entering the Wellington Straight on the opening lap and on his return to the track over the grass hit a bump which unstabled the car with dramatic consequences.
Pitched into a heavy nose-first impact with the outside guardrail, the Finn came spinning back across the track in front of the oncoming field and then was then clouted by former team-mate Felipe Massa’s own spinning Williams, the Brazilian forced into take sudden evasive action in order to try and avoid the Ferrari.
Raikkonen came to rest in the barriers on the other side of the track and while he was able to extricate himself from the car, the 34-year-old hobbled away from the scene assisted by trackside marshals from where he was taken to Silverstone medical centre.
However, while his participation in the test is in question, Ferrari declared in statement on their website that "he will be back in time for the next round in Germany".
