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F3 Macau GP
Floersch accident not Macau-specific, says team boss
Sophia Floersch's team boss Frits van Amersfoort believes the nature of the Macau circuit was not to blame for the horrific accident she suffered on Sunday.
Pablo Elizalde Casper Bekking
Edited: Nov 20, 2018, 3:04 PM
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Floersch was launched into the air and through the catch fence at the start of the Macau GP after losing control of her car and hitting the inside kerb at the Lisboa corner, which acted as a ramp.
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Her car impacted an area that was occupied by marshals and photographers.
Van Amersfoort, however, does not believe that the dangerous nature of the Guia circuit made the accident worse.
"I don't think the accident was Macau-related," van Amersfoort told Motorsport.com. "If we go back to Macau next year, I'll be a bit afraid but this accident could have happened elsewhere.
"We also race in Pau and F1 also races on all kinds of street circuits. Macau is a special track, everyone knows that.
"The contradiction is that everyone knows the dangers, but most drivers also say that Macau is the most beautiful track in the world. That indicates how strange it sometimes is."
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Van Amersfoort admitted he was "scared" that the accident had been caused by a mechanical failure in one his cars.
"When we knew there was no longer life threatening, we went to analyse what had happened," he added.
"At first, you're scared because there were rumours that her brakes didn't work. Then you start to doubt yourself. In the end we gradually got to know what had happened.
"Sometimes you can despise social media, but now there was a lot that we otherwise would never have known.
"The FIA seized the onboard images of Sophia's camera and all the riders around her so we don't have to expect much help from them. Today we really got to know what exactly happened.
"And then I can only draw one conclusion: Dear God, everyone had an angel on their shoulders, because it could have ended much worse."
Floersch suffered a spinal fracture in the accident and underwent over nine hours of surgery on Monday to repair the vertebra and remove a bone splinter, which was sitting dangerously close to her spinal cord, according to the team.
Van Amersfoort said the initial signs suggested Floersch will have a positive recovery.
"Nerve monitoring shows that her vital nerve functions react well, therefore the initial signs give a positive outlook towards her recovery," the team said in a statement.
Carsh of Sophia Flörsch, Van Amersfoort Racing
Photo by: Contributed
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