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MONTREAL - Poland's Robert Kubica escaped serious injury after suffering an horrific crash in the Canadian Formula One Grand Prix.
The BMW Sauber driver was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Montreal after being extracted from the wreckage of his shattered car.
However, the Pole's manager Daniele Morelli said Kubica was conscious and in good spirits and the team later confirmed he was expected to be released on Monday after the near-miraculous escape.
"According to the first medical reports, Robert has escaped this very heavy accident relatively unscathed," said team boss Mario Theissen in a statement.
BMW did not say whether Kubica would be cleared to race in next weekend's US Grand Prix at Indianapolis.
Morelli said the driver was talking "almost normally" after the crash.
The 22-year-old made contact with the rear wheels of Jarno Trulli's Toyota on the approach to the hairpin on lap 27 and his car took off, flying through the air and slamming into a concrete wall before barrel-rolling across the track.
The shattered chassis, with three wheels ripped off, then skidded to a halt on its side. The safety car was deployed as track doctors attended to the driver.
"When you see another colleague have such a big crash and you are hit from the back, it's not a nice feeling," said Trulli.
"At that stage a lot of things were going on in my mind but I have since heard that he's fine."
- REUTERS
