Toyota has confirmed that Anthony Davidson suffered a back injury in his Le Mans crash, which will take some three months to heal.
Davidson went off at the end of the Mulsanne Straight after his Toyota was sideswiped by a Ferrari GTE car that he was passing. The TS030 went sideways and took off when air got underneath it, and the Brit suffered a heavy landing before sliding head first into the tyre wall.
Initial reports said he had back pain but was walking OK, but a hospital check up revealed a more serious problem.
Toyota said this morning: “After getting out of the car on his own, he was taken to the circuit medical centre suffering from shock and back pain. Despite no obvious injuries, he was taken to hospital for checks which revealed breaks to his T11 and T12 vertebrae.
“Those injuries are expected to heal fully in approximately three months and he will remain in hospital until Monday.”
Davidson, who one assumes have to skip his Sky TV duties for at least the next race in Valencia, is evidently in good spirits, saying on Twitter: “Lying in a French hospital with a broken back is not what I had in mind at this stage of the race…”
We wish him a speed recovery.
Adam Cooper's F1 Blog 