McLaren crash driver to be charged

The driver of a $20 million McLaren F1 supercar which crashed near Queenstown on Saturday has been charged with careless driving.

Queenstown Sergeant Blair Duffy confirmed to media that the Australian man had been summonsed to appear before the court.

The 65-year-old was treated for a suspected broken thumb after the crash. He was due in Queenstown District Court on Monday morning.

The crashed supercar. Photo / ODT

The grey supercar, capable of reaching a speed of 386km/h, appears to have spun and skidded off the road at Closeburn at 11.45am on Saturday.

Long criss-crossed black tyre marks led towards where the car lay in a ditch, just after a tight left-hand uphill bend on the Queenstown-Glenorchy Road.

The car was covered by a black McLaren dust cover and later towed away, while its minders attempted to stop people taking photos and video.

The 1994 car was part of the inaugural Epic New Zealand Road Tour, which pays tribute to the brand's Kiwi founder Bruce McLaren.

The McLaren Epic Tour NZ. Photo / Matthew Hansen

A convoy of 31 McLarens from around the world travelled from Auckland to Queenstown last week.

Saturday was the final leg. The F1 was in a procession heading from Queenstown's Hilton Hotel to Glenorchy.