Long before Lewis Hamilton triumphed at the British Grand Prix on Sunday, Formula One fans were reminded of the bravery and honour shown by drivers on the track as Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa were involved in a dramatic incident at the start of the race. A red flag halted proceedings on the first lap after a chaotic start when Ferrari's Raikkonen drove wide and, as he tried to get back on the circuit, lost control in spectacular fashion with his shattered car coming to a halt on the track after rebounding from a wall. Felipe Massa of Williams reacted superbly to avoid piling straight into the prone Ferrari when both drivers seemed threatened by an extremely dangerous situation.
Massa could not completely avoid contact, which cost him his own race. It was a sad end for the Brazilian on the occasion of his 200th Grand Prix but his move ensured both men could walk away unharmed. The Finn was not seriously hurt and could limp off to the medical centre with only minor injuries. Massa was understandably disappointed at his weekend ending early but had no regrets at missing out to ensure his and his rival's safety.
"I just saw a car in front of me. Kimi crashed and he was coming into me so I turned right and he hit me. The car is very damaged," Massa was quoted as saying. "My car was not moving at the start anyway. It is a weekend to forget. I hope Kimi is fine as I saw he had a big crash. I wanted to have a better weekend than this but I'm happy I'm fine," he added. A Ferrari spokesman said about Raikkonen: "He has some bruises...The bruises are on his knees and ankle and he will be back very soon." After a considerable delay to repair the guardrail damaged by Raikkonen in the crash, the race could resume. But it was the skill and bravery of Massa which ensured fans could celebrate Hamilton's eventual home victory rather than dwell on an accident with serious results.
