SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium -- Kevin Magnussen has been taken to hospital for precautionary checks after walking away from a terrifying crash on the exit of Spa's notorious Eau Rouge corner in the opening laps of the Belgian Grand Prix.
On lap six, Magnussen appeared to lose control of his car after hitting a bump at the top of the hill at Raidillon, unsettling the rear of his car and spinning him violently into the tyre barriers. The force of impact was so strong that the headrest was thrown from Magnussen's car as he hit the tyres head on.
When the car was pulled away from the barriers, the entire right side had been destroyed. Magnussen appeared to be limping as he was led away from his car and the team later confirmed he had a small cut to his left ankle.
"Kevin Magnussen ran wide at the exit of Eau Rouge and made heavy contact with the barriers," the team tweeted. "He left the car unaided and was taken to the medical centre for precautionary checks. He is fully conscious and responsive. He has a small cut to the left ankle and has been escorted to a nearby hospital for further routine checks. We will bring you more information when appropriate."
After several laps behind the safety car, the race was red flagged to continue fixing the damaged tyre barrier.