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Monday, 28th April 2008

Finn lucky to escape relatively unscathed from horror smash in Catalunya; team hope he will race again in Istanbul.

“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 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.”

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“Heikki is ok, and this is the most important news today,” concurred Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Vice-President Norbert Haug. “We all would like to thank the medical team for their professional actions.”

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