Tom Kristensen and Alexandre Premat have been taken to hospital after a massive smash on the first lap of the opening DTM round at Hockenheim.

Involving four cars including Susie Stoddart and Adam Carroll, Kristensen came together with team-mate Timo Scheider at the Parabolica, spinning on the track and being collected at high-speed by the unsighted Premat.

While Stoddart and Carroll escaped unharmed, both Kristensen and Premat were taken to hospital and although their condition has not been confirmed, they are thought be otherwise unharmed.

Carroll, who was making his DTM debut for Futurecom TME, claims he arrived at the corner and was unable to see anything before he hit an unknown car.

“I could see something had happened in front of me and all of a sudden I was in a cloud of smoke and everything was black,” he said. “I tried to move away from the smoke and get some vision and then I hit someone hard. I don't know who.

“I got out and spoke to Alex (Premat) and switched off his car which was still running. I am fine but my car definitely is not – that will be a big job.”

Mattias Ekstrom won the restarted race from Martin Tomczyk and Bruno Spengler.