JUNE 17, 2012

Davidson breaks back in Le Mans shunt

Former Super Aguri F1 driver and Sky Sports F1 pundit Anthony Davidson suffered a huge accident in the fifth hour of the Le Mans 24 Hours when his Toyota LMP1 tangled with a GT class Ferrari and somersaulted.

Former Super Aguri F1 driver and Sky Sports F1 pundit Anthony Davidson suffered a huge accident in the fifth hour of the Le Mans 24 Hours when his Toyota LMP1 tangled with a GT class Ferrari and somersaulted.

Davidson was a key member of Toyota's Le Mans return, which is now over after the second car also retired from the event, and the squad was starting to exert pressure on the leading Audis when the accident happened.

Davidson was attempting to go inside Pierguiseppe Perrazzini, who looked as if he did not anticipate Anthony's move and clipped the left-hand side of the Toyota as it attempted to come through.

Davidson was flicked sideways at high speed, the car became airborne, somersaulted and then crashed heavily into the tyre barrier. Perazzini also suffered a heavy impact but emerged unscathed.

Davidson was able to extract himself from the Toyota cockpit before signalling for attention and lying down at the side of the car. Initial reports said he was uninjured but a hospital check revealed breaks to the 11th and 12th vertebrae. A Toyota statement said that it is hoped that Davidson's injuries will heal fully within three months.