Heidfeld hits medical car

Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld (left) is trying to avoid the medical car helping Enrique Bernold (centre) Keystone

Nick Heidfeld, the driver for the Swiss Formula One team, Sauber, crashed into a medical car in the warm-up for the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The German driver hit the ambulance car that had been called after the Brazilian, Enrique Bernoldi, had an accident with his Arrows-Cosworth.

Heidfeld rounded turn two as the medical car came to a halt. The Sauber driver took to the grass on the left of the circuit to avoid it, but as he did so the driver of the medical car opened his door, which Heidfeld hit.

“The view was already blocked by the box and Michael was in front of me,” Heidfeld said after the race. “When the driver opened the door I only prayed that he would close it again.”

The Mercedes was able to continue with a badly damaged door, but Heidfeld was forced to abandon his car at the trackside with his front suspension damaged on both sides.

Nobody was hurt in the accident and Heidfeld’s car could be fixed in time for the start of the Grand Prix.

During the competition, however, Heidfeld had to abandon the race when he was in eighth position due to problems with his brakes.

Sauber’s second driver, the Brazilian Felipe Massa, came off the track after a collision half way through the distance.

Schumi on top

Michael Schumacher has extended his lead in the world championship after winning the competition in Brazil, beating his younger brother Ralf into second place by just half a second.

The four-time world champion had been expected to struggle against the Williams duo of Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya, who was on top for much of the race weekend.

McLaren driver, David Coulthard finished third with a minute off the pace.

swissinfo with agencies