During the race I was pushing so hard, I was really on the limit and on lap eight I pushed to hard and on exiting turn nine - a fourth gear flat out exit - I ran a little wide but it was enough for my wheels to touch the grass and I had a very big shunt. It was definitely the biggest crash I have had and it was a shame to end such a great race like that.
I really like the circuit in Curitiba but if I’m honest, it is a little dangerous and I think a lot of the drivers shared the same opinion, but then again we are racing drivers and it’s a dangerous sport, which is part of being there. Alain Menu had almost the identical accident as I did two laps later. I am pretty stiff after the crash, but it’s a testament to the
BMW 320i that I was not injured, it shows how strong the car was to take such an impact. My father is now going to have me properly checked out when I land in Dublin just to make sure everything is in order. As for the car, it absorbed a lot of the impact but it was badly damaged. The team stayed at the circuit until late on Sunday evening because they were trying to finish repairing it before the cars head to Puebla in Mexico for the next round of the championship. So I must say a big thank you to my Wiechers Sport Team for the hard work they put in.
The whole WTCC paddock were genuinely concerned for me after the crash which just shows the great sportsmanship within the Championship. Stefano D'Aste was the first driver to come down and make sure I was OK since his race had finished early also, and all of the GR Asia boys were down to see if all was all right! I was told that Tom Cornel was on the radio back to his team to ask for updates on how O'Brien is!! And many others also expressed concern - so thanks guys!
On the Sunday night after the race there was a big WTCC party in a castle in the centre of Curitiba, it was a great night with all the drivers and
FIA officials there to let there hair down a bit, have a few drinks and mix with the local Brazilian people, it was a mega night.
