zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
Fractured Vertebra Sidelines Kazuki Nakajima At 6 Hours Of Spa
Fractured Vertebra Sidelines Kazuki Nakajima At 6 Hours Of Spa-August 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:43

The at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps only got worse at the World Endurance Championship’s 6 Hours of Spa weekend. In the heavy rain of Free Practice 1, the #1 Toyota of Kazuki Nakajima rear-ended the #8 Audi of Oliver Jarvis near Les Combes corner, fracturing one of Nakajima’s vertebrae.

According to , both the Audi and Toyota LMP1-class cars were trying to make it around an LMP2 car that was hidden in a giant cloud of spray. Per , the cars were still on the Kemmel Straight when the accident occurred.

“Looking at the video of the accident it is clear he had no chance,” Toyota Gazoo Racing President Toshio Sato in a after the accident. “The visibility was very poor due to the spray and there was nothing Kazuki could do.”

Nakajima confirmed the poor conditions as well. “I was on the straight and suddenly through the spray there was a car right in front of me; I had no time to react,” he said in the.

Both cars were heavily damaged from the hit, with the Audi LMP1 sustaining significant damage, and the Toyota requiring a full rebuild. Jarvis and Nakajima initially both looked fine, although Nakajima complained of back pain.

at the hospital at Verviers revealed that Nakajima has a fractured vertebra. Per , Nakajima will remain there for checks over the weekend and unfortunately, will be unable to drive in the 6 Hours of Spa. Further medical checks will determine if he is able to drive at Le Mans in 41 days or if reserve driver Kamui Kobayashi will have to fill in.

Nakajima’s teammates in the number 1 car, Sébastien Buemi and Anthony Davison, had to sit out Free Practice 2, as the #1 car will have to be rebuilt around a spare monocoque.

Davison had this to say in the :

It was obviously a very difficult day for our side of the garage. Kazuki suffered a high-speed incident so at the moment our main concern is his well being. We are all with him and supporting him through this tough time. The car, for what it’s worth, felt good in the wet conditions today and we were able to set some pretty competitive lap times. But I hope we can have some dry weather for the race to see where we are before we head to Le Mans.

Our thoughts are with Kazuki Nakajima for a speedy recovery.

Qualifying just wrapped up today, and you can view the full results .

Contact the author at .

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
Name a car from the early 1960s built by a famed racing driver with curvy, lightweight aluminum bodywork, a big American engine, and a reputation for being unruly and fast as all hell. Your first thought was probably the famed Shelby Cobra, did you know there was a who...
Aug 18, 2025
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
In another unsurprising example of motorsport’s inhospitable mindset toward hiring competent women, the Racing team has announced a new partnership with Ava Rose, a literal , who will... engage with fans? Share knowledge about technology? “Navigate the cutting edge of innovation to create positive change” (whatever that means)? I...
Aug 18, 2025
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
If you follow racing in the U.S., you probably already know about the . Most of the episodes are too much of a distraction to put on as background noise while you work, but a couple of recent entries in his series have been working incredibly well for me....
Aug 18, 2025
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
If you listen to Formula 1 or local officials from Las Vegas and Clark County, you’d probably think November’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix was a success. Some sources estimated that the city of Las Vegas made over $1 billion in revenue from the event — but there were...
Aug 18, 2025
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Fellow nerds, get ready to open your wallets, because I’ve found what may be the greatest store of all time. With designs from Formula 1 teams like , you’re sure to find something that fits your particular nostalgic niche. I’d like to introduce you to Racing Retro. I first...
Aug 18, 2025
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
The partially North Carolina-based squad has determined that after , it needs to mix things up a little. The team’s firebrand has been following an abysmal 2023 season which saw the team score just four points-paying finishes. The team’s , where scored a fourth-place finish, but that season too...
Aug 18, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved