F1 star in horror high-speed crash after dropping management and flipping the other way up
An F1 driver suffered a terrifying crash after he aquaplaned during testing at Suzuka Circuit and crashed into barriers before landing upside down beyond the tyre wall
Luke Browning was involved in a high-speed crash at Suzuka(Image: @MotorsportJP)
Williams F1 reserve driver Luke Browning somehow emerged unharmed following a terrifying high-speed crash at the Suzuka Circuit on Wednesday.
The Brit credited his HANS device for preventing serious injury after he skidded on standing water on the track, leading to a collision with the tyre wall that left him upside down in this week’s Super Formula test. The car’s on-board camera recorded the chilling incident which saw Browning lose control, slide onto the gravel, hit the barrier, flip over the Armco and land upside down.
Remarkably, the 24-year-old walked away unscathed after falling victim to the downpour in Japan, 80 minutes into the session, as track marshals rushed to assist him from the wreckage.
JOIN US ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
Browning commented: “It was a bit of an unfortunate crash. I just aquaplaned and then I was just a passenger. In hindsight, it would have been better to pit when the rain started to come down harder.
“These are lessons you learn; it’s all about learning over here and today was a lesson that I’ll take forward in my career. I’m completely fine, no pain. Luckily I landed on the hay and didn’t hit the barriers, so all good. The HANS device is fantastic – it saved my neck, I would have thought.”
The day ended disappointingly for Browning after showing promise in the testing conditions. He finished fourth-fastest in the morning before recording a fifth-fastest time in the afternoon, with only Ren Sato posting a better time, leaving him trailing by 0.685 seconds.
Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings.
Kondo Racing team manager Nobuaki Adachi revealed that the damage was less extensive than initially feared, as the team aims to complete the repairs in time for the second day of testing. According to sources, mechanics worked well into the early morning hours to fix the damage, allowing Browning to participate on Thursday.
However, Browning was unable to replicate his successful performance from day one, recording the 18th-fastest time of the afternoon on the second day at Suzuka. Toyota driver Nierei Fukuzumi secured the fastest time, clocking in 1.075 seconds faster than the 24-year-old.
The racing calendar is set to kick off on April 4 in Motegi, with drivers competing in a 12-race series across Japan until late November, concluding with a two-day event at Suzuka.
Browning is a reserve driver for Williams, supporting their experienced line-up of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. The first Grand Prix is in Australia on March 8.
