- Maria De Villota hit stationary lorry at about 40mph after opening lap
- 32-year-old was 'motionless for 15 minutes' as paramedics treated her for serious head and facial injuries
- Spaniard was taking part in first test for F1 team at Duxford Airfield, Cambridgeshire
- She has now managed to speak to her family by phone as they rushed to her hospital bedside in London
- Anti-stall mechanism of car 'may have kicked in when she entered makeshift pit area'
By Nick Enoch
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A female test driver for Formula One who was seriously injured this morning after an accident at a circuit in Cambridgeshire has regained consciousness and managed to speak to her family by phone from her hospital bed.
Maria De Villota, 32, was taking part in her first test for the Marussia F1 team at Duxford Airfield ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix when she 'inexplicably accelerated' to about 40mph into a support truck after completing her opening lap.
Her father Emilio De Villota, who confirmed this afternoon that she had suffered injuries to her face, told Spanish website CarandDriverTheF1.com he had spoken to her shortly before boarding a flight to London to rush to her bedside.
Team Marussia also confirmed the driver was conscious and medical assessments were 'ongoing'.
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Maria De Villota at a photo call this morning, and in the Marussia car at Duxford Airfield, Cambridgeshire, shortly before the accident
Emergency workers and Marussia F1 staff gather around the car still wedged under the support truck. According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred after De Villota had pulled up in front of her mechanics after completing her first lap of the day and 'inexplicably accelerated' into the lorry
Emergency workers and Marussia F1 staff at the scene at Duxford today
Racing in the blood: De Villota is the daughter of former Formula One driver Emilio De Villota
MARIA DE VILLOTA AND HER DRIVING PASSION
Born: January 13, 1980 in Madrid, Spain.
Family: Father Emilio De Villota was Formula One driver between 1976 and 1982. Brother Emilio De Villota Jnr is also a racing driver.
F1 career
2012: Marussia (test driver)
2011: Renault (test driver)
Previous racing career
2009: Formula Palmer Audi
2009: Trofeo Abarth Europe
2008: Euroseries 3000
2008: Italian Superstars
2007: ADAC Procar - Division I
2007: Spanish GT Championship
2006â€"07: WTCC
2005â€"06: Ferrari Challenge Europe
2001â€"05: Spanish F3 Â
An air ambulance spokesman earlier confirmed the driver had suffered serious head and facial injuries.
According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred after the Spaniard pulled up in front of her mechanics after completing her first lap of the day, during which she reached speeds of about 200mph.
As the mechanics approached to wheel the car back for service, it accelerated forwards and crashed into the stationary vehicle parked nearby.
The front of the Marussia car was destroyed in the crash and De Villota's helmet was seen to impact with the side of the truck.
De Villota was reportedly motionless for around 15 minutes as paramedics tended to her trackside.
However, she was seen to move her hands before being transported to the local Addenbrooke's hospital.
Early theories have suggested the anti-stall mechanism on the car kicked in as she approached the makeshift pit area, propelling her into the truck.
Following news of the crash, top Formula 1 drivers from around the world posted messages of support on Twitter.
McLaren driver Jenson Button wrote: 'Terrible accident for Maria de Villota, Marussia F1 team test driver. My thoughts are with Maria and her family at this very difficult time.'
Toro Rosso F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo said: 'Let’s put Maria De Villota in our hearts today.'
Fellow Spanish F1 driver Fernando Alonso said: 'I just got home and found out Maria’s accident, we called the family and hopefully we will know more soon! All my energy with you!'
Gary Sanderson, spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service, said: 'A woman has sustained life-threatening injuries and following treatment at the scene by paramedics, she has been taken to Addenbrookes hospital for further care.'
BBC Cambridgeshire presenter Chris Mann, who was at the Imperial War Museum-owned airfield when the accident happened, said the car 'inexplicably accelerated' into the back of the team's parked support truck.
Marussia test driver Maria De Villota is said to be fighting for her life
De Villota was given a test drive by Renault in August last year when she clocked up just under 200 miles
'The driver's helmet was impacted on the side of the truck,' he reported. 'It just happened suddenly, a very shocking incident.
'The car slowed down for it to be reversed into the pits which was actually a tent. But at the last second it just suddenly accelerated again so by the time it hit the truck, it was doing 30 or 40 miles an hour.'
He added: 'It appeared to me that she wasn't moving for about 10 or 15 minutes. We saw her move her hands after about a quarter of an hour and it took almost an hour for the ambulance (staff) to feel confident to take her out of the car.'
De Villota is the daughter of Spanish former F1 driver Emilio de Villota.
She was appointed test driver of Russian-licensed Marussia in March, making her the only woman in such a role at the time although Williams have since handed a similar development role to Suzie Wolff.
This year is the first season the team has competed as Marussia after the Russian sports car manufacturer bought a controlling stake in the former Virgin team.
Marussia has not yet scored any points this season.
The team's race regulars are German driver Timo Glock, who missed the last grand prix in Valencia through illness, and Frenchman Charles Pic.
De Villota was given a test drive by Renault in August last year when she clocked up just under 200 miles, and has previously raced in Spanish F3, the Daytona 24 Hours, the Euroseries 3000 and Superleague Formula Championship.
A statement from Marussia read: 'At approximately 9.15 this morning, the Marussia F1 Team’s Test Driver Maria De Villota had an accident in the team’s MR-01 race car at Duxford Airfield where she was testing the car for the first time.
'The accident happened at the end of her first installation run and involved an impact with the team’s support truck.
'The team can confirm that Maria was transferred by ambulance from Duxford Airfield to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.
'Since Maria’s arrival at the hospital at approximately 10:45 this morning, she has been receiving the best medical attention possible at the hospital, which is the region’s major trauma centre.
The 32-year-old Spaniard was taken to Addenbrooke's hospital
Marussia's race regulars are German driver Timo Glock (above), who missed the last Grand Prix in Valencia through illness, and Frenchman Charles Pic
'Maria is conscious and medical assessments are ongoing. The team will await the outcome of these assessments before providing further comment.
'The team’s first priority at this time is Maria and her family.'
A Cambridgeshire police spokesman said: 'We were notified by the ambulance service of a slow-speed crash involving a racing car and a lorry.
'It looks like the driver has suffered a serious injury and we will be notifying the Health and Safety Executive as it happened on private land.'
A spokeswoman for the Health and Safety Executive confirmed two inspectors had visited the site of the crash and had launched an investigation.
Audio: Eyewitness account of the crash and the moment of impact
VIDEO: Watch Maria talk to CNN about her driving career only a month before the accident...
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Women need to know their place And F1 is not one of them . I am not Being rude in any way , I hope she Recovers quick. Their are plenty of Sports where women do well stick to Them and be proud. - z.ahmed 23, Bradford, 3/7/2012 15:00______________________Based on what? The fact she crashed? Thank god no male ever crashed a formula 1 car. Stupid and irrelevant comment.
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Some of the comments here come out of the Mad Men era. Some of you people have opinions that are at odds with reality - perhaps some re-education is in order. Lets just hope for a speedy recovery rather than trying to blame the accident on the fact it's a female driver.
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- Ellie, Glasgow, Scotland, 03/07/2012 12:44 No woman has ever won a proper F1 race. You are referring to the British aurora f1 Alan jones won the British f1 grand prix in 1980 Desire' Wilson won the lesser aurora f1 in 1980 comprising of gp1 and gp2 cars. The only woman to score a point in F1 was Lella Lombardi. (half a point as race finished early). Regardless get well soon and keep trying as there is defiantly a place for woman in F1.
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something went wrong and who knows what but we never wan't to see any driver get hurt and lets us all wish her well and a full and speedy recovery.
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As a male F1 fan I see no reason why women shouldn't be just as good as men in the F1 world. - Big Al, Up North, 03/7/2012 16:24 That's because you've not driven one. You're talking concepts not reality. Go try one and you will see a reason. They are vicious.... ...I'd like to see a competitive woman driver in F1 (in the US they have Danica Patrick) - D.Brook, London. U.K., 03/7/2012 16:33 Comparing F1 with Indy is like comparing Jack Daniels with Tizer - Rusty, Warehouse 13, 3/7/2012 17:07I didn't compare F1 with Indycar. The point was there are women competing at top level motoracing,i know F1 is on another level to Indycar. Duh!
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I wish Ms Vilotta a speedy recovery.
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what some patheic comments on here.. So every male racing driver who has an accident in the pits or on the start line is completely blameless because they are male? a driver is seriously injured and some people have the nerve to make sexists comments. really pathetic
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WOW. The double of her Mum.
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Why is this headline news?
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2 NASCAR drivers died a few years ago when their throttles stuck open, sending them into the wall. One was Adam Petty, grandson of racing legend Richard Petty. This could be a similar throttle malfunction. In any case, I wish her the best. It can't be easy being a woman in a male-dominated sport.
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