Maria de Villota’s accident, in which the Formula One test driver lost her right eye and fractured her skull, was not car-related, the Marussia team said on Monday.
Marussia said in a statement it came to this conclusion in an internal investigation. De Villota crashed into the rear of a team truck during a straight-line test in the July 3 incident at Duxford Airfield.
“We are satisfied that the findings of our internal investigation exclude the car as a factor in the accident,” team principal John Booth said.
“We have shared and discussed our findings with the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) for their consideration as part of their ongoing investigation. This has been a necessarily thorough process in order to understand the cause of the accident.
“We have now concluded our investigatory work and can again focus on the priority, which continues to be Maria’s wellbeing. In that regard, we continue to support Maria and the De Villota family in any way we can.” The exact cause of the accident remains unknown, with the HSE probe ongoing along with a forensic investigation.
De Villota, 32, remains in Addenbrooke hospital but was moved out of the intensive care unit last week. She underwent two operations after the crash but doctors could not save her right eye.
Marussia said last week that “despite severe injuries, Maria’s recovery has been remarkable.”
