Formula 3 driver Sophia Floersch survives crash at Macau Grand Prix. 276km speed
 

Formula 3 driver Sophia Floersch survives a horrific crash at the Macau Grand Prix. The 17 year old driver was driving 276km/h at the time of the accident.

The 17-year-old German's car lost control going into a bend before flying through the air and crashing backwards into a fence and photographers' bunker.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/motorsport/46253184

Here's a video of the crash:

Ignoring any of the usual speculation, , hopefully all involved have a swift recovery. That's probably one of the worst racing crashes in recent memory?

looks like it was pinned still like full straight speed going into the crash as opposed to braking into the corner

She didn't really have much of a chance to effectlvely brake. She hit another car just at the start of the braking zone, that broke her suspension which spun her around backwards, as she was going backwards she hit the rear tire of that other car and was sent flying (backwards) over the catch fence.

having been to a few F1 circuits, this is scary to see

esp because you're expecting everyone to take a corner like that at lower speeds and you think the crash barriers will do its job

Macao's street circuit is kinda idiotic...esp Lisboa (this corner) you're carrying speeds like in Spa but it's as tight as Monte Carlo

I can't imagine what it must've been like being in the photographers' nest....all you're seeing is tunnel vision with a big zoom lens and all of a sudden a race car is in your face

How does a 17 year old girl get to that level of competitive racing ??!! The emphasis is not on girl ... it is on 17. Lots of video game time??

Trying to think wth I was doing at the age of 17 ... I think I was just happy to pass my road test!

Money.

Max Verstappen was a full time driver in F1 at 17...

Lol, that's what I thought as well, but on wikipedia, it says she began "Karting in 2005, and been in various karting events 2008-2014"

So in other words, while most of us were playing video games growing up, she's been racing since she was 5, mind you it was only Go Karting, but the more serious and competitive kind than any of us have competed in. lol

like many professional athletes, you start young, and in racing you basically have to be born into it

which is why I like lewis Hamilton's cool runnings story

holy shit on the car safety engineering,Imagine the fuel tank cracking and pouring all over the hot exhaust pipes....


that didn't happen and it's a 276 km crash,Could've being worse.

Nasty crash. She’s lucky to make it out. When you are airborn like that, any random piercing object could easily kill you.

Apparently, after surgery, she's doing really well. No fear of paralysis. She not only survived the crash, she will probably race again!

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/new...ectid=12163213

That is insane. Amazing how safe they’ve actually made that sport. She’s a lucky women.

Super lucky. If she actually collided with the barrier, it would be a different story.

They start way younger than that. Verstappen was in F1 when he was 17.

They start get these kids karting at 4.

It's not just talent, it'a a shit tonne of money... families of race car drivers pay out the nose, I don't think there's a more expensive sport to put your kid into in the world and it's not even just the entry fees, polling for sponsors, buying your way into the teams and influencing them with donations, etc.

There's some great books out there including Flat Out Broke by Perry McCarthy... he was like the last generation of drivers that had a chance to make it based on merit rather than massive financial backing.

And connections. Look at Oliver Solberg, son of Petter Solberg, and Kalle Rovanperä, son of Harri Rovanperä. Sure they need the interest and skill as well, but when you're related to someone who had a lengthy career at a top level you're going to have a much easier time getting access to the resources and training.

Don’t have to look any further than our own back yard and Lance Stroll as to what it takes to get to those levels in terms of finances

Youngest driver with a podium finish to date! (beating Max Verstappen by being 12 days younger)

While Stroll's skills aren't out of this world, he's not terrible. Stroll even admitted himself that money helped him get to where he is but that wasn't the only reason.

Yea, his private track his daddy built was lol..

I’ll give him a bit of credit he turned out to be a better driver than expected but when he was coming into F1 the general consensus seemed to be that he paid his way there

So what you are saying is that my kid has absolutely no chance in this sport. K, got the memo.

A lot of drivers on the grid pay their way in.

Other than Stroll, Current pay drivers:
Sirotkin
Ericsson
Perez

Also recently:
Maldonado
Gutierrez
Palmer

Even Michael Schumacher was a pay driver in the beginning, Mercedes paid Jordan for his race seat at their team in 1991