RACING driver Marta Garcia is recovering in hospital after a high speed crash left her trapped inside her flaming Porsche.
The first F1 Academy champion smashed into a barrier at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Saturday.
The incident occurred during Le Mans Cup action at the venue which plays host to Formula One’s Spanish Grand Prix.
Garcia was in the lead of the GT3 class for Iron Dames when her Porsche 911 was clipped from behind by the second-placed Elesio Donno in the AF Corse Ferrari.
The hit sent Garcia, 24, hurtling into the tyre wall barrier at speed as the wrecked airborne Porsche flew back onto the circuit, with cars surrounding it.
The rear of the car then immediately burst into flames after coming to a stop in the middle of the back straight.
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Several sets of tyres also flew across the track as drivers swerved and dodged the sea of debris.
The race was instantly red flagged and Garcia later revealed she was trapped inside her car, before marshals broke the door to get her out.
She was able to walk away from the wreckage and was taken to hospital for precautionary checks after inhaling too much smoke.
But Garcia has since opened up about her panic while she scrambled to find a way out of the trapped door.
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The former Renault F1 junior driver posted a picture herself in a hospital bed on Instagram, alongside an update for fans.
The Spaniard wrote: “Hello everyone, yesterday I experienced one of the toughest moments in my career.
“The car caught fire, and although I managed to get out by myself, I inhaled some smoke and felt dizzy afterwards.
“I couldn’t open my door because it was stuck from the impact, and I started panicking as more and more smoke was coming into the car.
“Until the marshals broke the co-driver’s door and got me out. I’m so thankful to them for reacting so quickly and for the job they did.”
Garcia will spend another night in hospital as a precaution.
Thankfully, all the scans came back clear, but she feels “shaken”.
After a lengthy clean-up, the race resumed with 30 minutes to go.
The Le Mans Cup race was won outright by Cedric Oltramare and David Droux for CLX Motorsport in their LMP3 Ligier JS P325.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
