Klien confident risks to F1 drivers are limited due to high safety standards

The Spanish Grand Prix was overshadowed by Heikki Kovalainen's serious crash, from which the McLaren driver fortunately emerged without serious injury. Christian Klien, official test driver for the BMW Sauber F1 Team, recalls the worrying scenes at the "Circuit de Catalunya" and talks about the general risk of accidents in Formula One.

On lap 22 of the Spanish Grand Prix, Formula One fans around the world held their breath as Kovalainen's front left tyre suddenly deflated, causing him to leave the track and crash at high speed into a tyre barrier.

The Finn was immediately taken to the medical centre and then to the hospital in Barcelona. Remarkably, Kovalainen was dismissed from hospital the following day. "It is always a nightmare to see a driver crash and possibly injure himself", says Klien. "It always leaves a bad taste."

However, the Austrian believes that the risks to Formula One drivers are limited thanks to the high safety standards demanded by the FIA. According to Christian, accidents caused by driver error or technical failures can never be completely excluded.

"It happens relatively little. The circuits and cars are very safe", says Christian. "Every now and then a fault may occur. The cars are driven to the absolute limit, in order to get every last tenth of a second out of them. As harsh as it may sound, this is why accidents do sometimes happen."