Dennis reasures fans that Kovalainen is ok

Heikki Kovalainen was taken to the hospital for a complete check-up after his high-speed crash during the Spanish Grand Prix. At the scene, doctors attended to Kovalainen and as he was put on a stretcher, the Finn gave a thumbs-up to the crowd. The McLaren driver was taken to the medical centre, before being transported by helicopter to a Barcelona hospital.

Ron Dennis said: "Our main concerns during the race were with Heikki. I am therefore extremely pleased to be able to report that he is safe and well."

Kovalainen will remain overnight in the hospital for precautionary checks. It appears that he only suffers a light concussion. Dennis continued: "Heikki was airlifted to the Hospital General de Catalunya in Sant Cugat del Valles, for precautionary checks, and will remain there overnight. However, he has no broken bones and CT scans performed at the hospital confirm that he has no head injuries and the team is optimistic that he will make a full recovery over the next few days. Subject to the results of an FIA medical examination we hope that he will be able to compete in the Turkish Grand Prix. The precise cause or causes of his accident are not yet known. Our data shows evidence of a sudden tyre deflation shortly before the accident, but it is still too early to identify what triggered that deflation other than to say that it is likely to have been the result of a wheel rim failure. The impact was a relatively heavy one, but our car’s passive safety devices, designed in compliance with the FIA’s safety regulations, protected the driver in the way they were intended to do. Equally, I would like to pay tribute to the FIA Medical Team, whose work was both rapid and efficient. Finally, the local Spanish marshals also did an excellent job.”