UPDATE: The grandson of two-time Formula 1 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi has miraculously escaped serious injury after a horror accident at the start of the F2 feature race in Saudi Arabia, that saw the front of his car ripped apart.
Enzo Fittipaldi, who started from 18th on the grid, appeared not to notice Theo Pourchaire, in third, had stalled on the grid.
Fittipaldi, who started on the left, crossed to the right hand side of the track and ran into the back of the UNI-Virtuosi car at unabated speed, sending debris everywhere, including over the safety fence and into the pit lane.
READ MORE: Hamilton, Verstappen collide in chaotic Saudi Arabia Grand Prix
READ MORE: Holden pair claim extraordinary Bathurst win
READ MORE: Stars humiliated in record BBL loss
https://twitter.com/Formula2/status/1467525604312600582?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfwhttps://twitter.com/TPourchaire/status/1467612507070251009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The race was red flagged while medical staff rushed to the scene, with both Pourchaire and Fittipaldi transferred to hospital.
“Both Pourchaire and Fittipaldi were immediately attended to by emergency and medical crews,” organisers said in a statement.
“The drivers were conscious and extricated by the attending medical crews and have been transferred to King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah.”
There was serious concern for Fittipaldi, given the extensive damage to the front of the car, but his brother has now tweeted an update on his condition.
“Enzo is awake/alert and resting at the hospital,” Pietro Fittipaldi wrote.
“He has a fracture in his right heel but thankfully things are much better than what we all expected.
“Thank you to the FIA, the team and all the medical staff here in Saudi Arabia.”
https://twitter.com/PiFitti/status/1467657280279781381?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Pourchaire, one of the most exciting talents in the sport, is widely expected to make the step up to Formula 1 in 2023. He has since tweeted that he is OK, but isn’t sure if he’ll take part in the season-ending round at Abu Dhabi next weekend.
“For the moment I don’t know if it’s already the end of the season for me,” he wrote.
“But the most important is not that, that was a really big one and Enzo is injured.
https://twitter.com/TPourchaire/status/1467609311614488578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
“I wish him the best recovery possible.”
Australia’s Oscar Piastri won a shortened race with only half points awarded, having started from pole position. The race was red-flagged after yet another incident, this time involving Olli Caldwell and Guilherme Samaia, with both drivers uninjured.
Piastri now has a 51.5 point lead over his teammate Robert Shwartzman with just one round remaining in the championship. While it’s mathematically possible for Piastri to be caught, it’s extremely unlikely.
The 20-year-old from Melbourne is aiming to become the first Australian to win the sport’s highest junior category, and has already signed a deal as Alpine’s F1 reserve driver for 2022.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!