Stephane Ortelli has escaped with only a broken ankle following a horrific high-speed accident in the late stages of the second round of the Le Mans Series at Monza.
Ortelli, at the wheel of the Courage-Oreca LC70-Judd he shares with Soheil Ayari, was approaching the opening chicane when the car suddenly snapped to the right under braking.
In a scene somewhat reminiscent of the famous incident involving Peter Dumbreck at Le Mans, air got underneath the car and the LMP1 machine flew through the air - only narrowly missing the Audi of Allan McNish as the Scot negotiated the corner.
The Courage then went into series of barrel-rolls before coming to rest, devoid of three of its wheels and most of its bodywork, right-side up against the barriers on the outside of the opening chicane.
"I had to take avoiding action as Stephane flew through the air right in front of me at the first chicane in the closing stages," McNish said. "It was a shocking accident – a very frightening sight. Amazingly, he's only got a broken ankle."
Ortelli was the second driver to be injured in an accident during the weekend, with Creation AIM driver Jamie Campbell-Walter sustaining two damaged vertebrae in a shunt in qualifying.
To see Ortelli's incident,
CLICK HERE.
