RML
AD Group has been forced to withdraw from Round 2 of
the 2011 Le Mans Series at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium
following a serious accident in Free Practice on Thursday.
Mike Newton was driving the team’s Honda Performance
Development HPD ARX-01 when the car was clipped into
a spin by one of the leading LMP1 diesel prototypes.
The
session was instantly brought to a close while marshals
and the circuit’s medical staff attended at the
site of the accident. Despite the severity of the impact,
Mike remained conscious for most of the time, and was
taken immediately to the circuit medical centre for
a preliminary examination.
“Mike
hasn’t got any lasting injuries from the accident,” said
a relieved Phil Barker, Team Manager at RML. “He
is bruised and shaken up, but we have to be very grateful
that there wasn’t anything more serious. He’ll
be feeling very sore for a few weeks, and the microphone
hit him in the face, so he has some cuts and bruises,
but he should make a full and fairly swift recovery.”
“We
would like to extend our thanks to the marshals, doctors
and staff here at the circuit medical centre for their
fast and very professional action, and also to the
specialists at Verviers. Mike underwent a series of
tests and scans to his head, neck, chest, abdomen,
lower back and right leg. Thankfully, there was nothing
broken and no internal injuries. They released him
late last night and he was back in the hotel by just
after ten.”
The
accident took place on the entry into Turn 12, known
as Pif-Paf. Mike had exited the previous sweeping double
left-hander at Pouhon on the racing line, and was heading
down the short straight towards Pif-Paf, steadily moving
across to take up the correct approach for the right-left
combination. Pedro Lamy in the #9 Peugeot 908 LMP1,
travelling significantly quicker that the LMP2 HPD,
had exited Pouhon about 40 metres behind Mike. By the
mid-point on the short straight, Mike had already crossed
the centre line and, as instructed in the drivers’ briefing,
was holding his course. With two options facing him,
Lamy elected to press forwards into the narrowing gap
down the left hand side of the HPD. However, even before
he was alongside the #36, his left wheels were already
off the track and moving onto the grass. Reacting instinctively,
Lamy steered back onto the circuit, hitting the RML
HPD in the side, just behind the front wheel. The impact
threw the HPD into the beginnings of a spin, and as
the Peugeot moved across the front, the two cars made
contact again.
From
that point, neither driver was in control. The Peugeot
spun clockwise, across the tarmac run-off, and made
heavy rearward impact with the tyre-wall. Mike, by
then a passenger in the HPD, ploughed head-long into
a blunt-fronted stack of tyres protecting the Armco
barriers on the outside of the bend. The car then reared
skyward, until almost vertical, before crashing back
down amid a tangle of tyres, debris, and lengths of
the conveyor-belt webbing used to contain the tyre
wall.
“I’m
feeling pretty sore. I’ve got a lot of bangs,
bruises and strains, but I’m very glad to be
here in one piece,” said Mike Newton. “All
the scans were fine, and they checked me over from
top to bottom – head and skull, neck, torso,
back and legs. All the tests came back clear. I feel
enormously grateful that the safety systems all worked
so well. The new Arai GP-6 carbon fibre helmet is virtually
unscathed, and thanks to the HANS device, I sustained
no neck damage. It was also great to see that the Belgian
marshals uphold the international tradition of the
best trackside support.” Mike is Vice Chairman
of the British Motorsport Marshals Club.
Thomas
Erdos and Mike Newton have raced together for more
than eight years, and the Brazilian was very upset
by the accident, and also by the cause. “That
was simply outrageous driving,” he stated. “Because
of the problems we have with the class structure at
the moment, the closing speeds are simply too high,
and some racing incidents are inevitable, but on this
occasion, that was simply inexcusable.”
Ben
Collins, who is co-driving with Mike and Tommy this
year, was also unimpressed. “Motor racing inherently
carries risks and drivers take those risks on a regular
basis, especially when they’re overtaking slower
cars in different classes. Being able to predict what
the driver of the slower car is going to do can reduce
that risk to zero, which is why Mike has carried the
respect of everyone in the Series for the best part
of a decade – because he’s a safe, predictable
and experienced driver.”
“Mike
was following the racing line yesterday, and travelling
at around 265 kph (165 mph). He was doing exactly what
all the drivers are instructed to do in the pre-race
briefings, and leaving plenty of room for a faster
car to overtake safely. What happened yesterday is
best described simply as a thoughtless accident. Pedro
Lamy in the LMP1 Peugeot went to the wrong side of
the track and placed himself in a ridiculous position
with two wheels on the dirt, and then wiped Mike out
on the straight, pure and simple. This happened in
practice when there’s no possible reward for
taking unjustifiable risks. That put the man in hospital,
the car in the skip, and ended our weekend. I'm just
glad Mike is OK.”
“Mike
is not only an esteemed racing driver, but he is also
our Chief Executive,” said Pauline Norstrom,
Motorsport and Marketing Director of AD Group. “He
is vitally important to us, and I’d like to thank
everyone involved in ensuring Mike’s safety,
not only this weekend, but every time he goes racing.
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to everyone in RML,
here at the circuit, and at the local medical facilities.
There’s a no-compromise approach to safety in
motor racing, and that has paid off for us this weekend.” AD
Group has 30 guests at Spa for the event, who have
no doubt been impressed to see Mike back at the circuit
so soon and displaying his characteristic good humour
and resilience.
The
important consideration is that Mike Newton is safe
and well, but the same cannot be said for the car.
With the Le Mans 24 Hours just five weeks away the
team must now concentrate on preparations for the race.
“The
tub is badly damaged, and it’s 50/50 at the moment
whether or not it’s salvageable,” admitted
Phil Barker. “The car went into the tyres with
considerable force and there’s lots of damage.
It will be necessary to examine the tub using ultrasound,
to ensure that there hasn’t been any delaminating
to the carbon fibre, but we have a Le Mans shakedown
scheduled for 31st May, and that remains our target. However,
we are certainly not in a position to put the car back
together again safely this weekend, so we have officially
withdrawn from this race.”
.