Driver, 17, taken to hospital after race car flies off tracks and crashes at Macau F3 Grand Prix

A 17-year-old race car driver was taken to hospital after her vehicle flew off the tracks and crashed in a Formula 3 Grand Prix in Macau on Sunday (Nov 18).

The German driver, Sophia Floersch, was confirmed by race organisers to have been taken to the hospital in a conscious state, said motor racing news website Motorsport.com.

A picture of an official medical report was posted on Twitter by Sophia's team Van Amersfoort Racing, stating she had a spinal fracture and had been admitted to Conde S. Januario General Hospital for observation.

Videos of the accident posted online show race cars negotiating a right turn when Sophia's car suddenly hurtles in the air above the tracks, strikes another car driven by Sho Tsuboi, flies over the race barriers and crashes into the fencing behind them.

Moments earlier, she lost control of her car and it hit the inside wall of the track, news.com.au reported.

Sophia is seen as one of the up-and-coming stars in motorsports, and had previously raced in Formula 4, an open-wheel racing car category for junior drivers, reported English tabloid The Sun. In 2018, she began participating in Formula 3, which is regarded by many as a major stepping stone for Formula 1 hopefuls.

Tsuboi, two photographers and one marshal, who were also involved in the accident, were taken conscious to the hospital.

The fencing of the race track was repaired and after a delay of over an hour, the race was restarted.

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This was the second stop in the race, which had been halted earlier due to a multiple car pile-up.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.