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| F1 Marussia driver Maria de Villota in Duxford crash | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A Formula 1 driver has suffered life-threatening injuries in a crash during testing in Cambridgeshire. | |
| Maria de Villota was hurt while driving for the first time for the Oxfordshire-based Marussia team at Duxford airfield. | |
| The car hit a Marussia support truck which had been used to transport the car to the track. | |
| The East of England Ambulance Service said the Spaniard, 32, had been taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. | |
| BBC Cambridgeshire presenter Chris Mann, who witnessed the crash, said the car had completed a circuit when it "suddenly accelerated" into the back of the lorry. | BBC Cambridgeshire presenter Chris Mann, who witnessed the crash, said the car had completed a circuit when it "suddenly accelerated" into the back of the lorry. |
| "From where I was standing it looked like the helmet took the brunt of the impact," he said. | |
| "Strangely, the car suddenly accelerated into the lorry and the car went careering into the side of the loading board." | |
| He added: "There was a terrible moment when everyone was just very shocked by the impact and the suddenness of what had happened." | |
| 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." | |
| East of England Ambulance Service spokesman Gary Sanderson said: "A woman has sustained life-threatening injuries and following treatment at the scene by paramedics, she has been taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital for further care." | |
| The crash happened at the start of two days of Formula 1 testing at the site. | The crash happened at the start of two days of Formula 1 testing at the site. |
| F1 ambition | |
| In a statement, Marussia said: "At approximately 09.15hrs BST, 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. | |
| "Maria has been transferred to hospital. Once her medical condition has been assessed a further statement will be issued." | |
| Marussia entered the sport under the name Virgin in 2010, backed by businessman Richard Branson. | Marussia entered the sport under the name Virgin in 2010, backed by businessman Richard Branson. |
| Russian car company Marussia acquired a controlling stake in the team toward the end of 2011. | Russian car company Marussia acquired a controlling stake in the team toward the end of 2011. |
| In 2012, the team rebranded as Marussia, and drafted in Charles Pic to race alongside Timo Glock. | In 2012, the team rebranded as Marussia, and drafted in Charles Pic to race alongside Timo Glock. |
| The team has not scored any points so far this season. | The team has not scored any points so far this season. |
| When Villota was unveiled as a test driver for Marussia in March, the 32-year-old Spaniard said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to work closely with a Formula 1 team and gain important experience to help me progress my career, including the chance to drive the new car later in the year at the Abu Dhabi test." | |
| She added that the move "can only help my future ambition to step up to F1 racing". |