Barcelona, Spain (Sports Network) - After coming out of a high-speed crash at
the Circuit de Catalunya with just a "slight headache and stiff neck," McLaren
Formula One driver Heikki Kovalainen says he will try to drive in the next
event, the Turkish Grand Prix, on Sunday, May 11th.
The McLaren driver must first pass a medical examination, but feels he will be
ready for the race.
"My focus is on getting better as soon as possible so I can pass the FIA
medical inspection required to allow me to race in Turkey," Kovalainen
said.
Kovalainen was knocked unconscious on lap 22 of the Spanish Grand Prix when a
left-front wheel rim failure cause the tire to deflate. He left the track
traveling about 150 m.p.h. and hit the tire barrier at 80 k.p.h.
"It's possible that some debris worked its way inside the rim, but we still
have to analyze that," McLaren F1 chief executive Martin Whitmarsh said. "It
was a new wheel and we don't think it was a structural failure."