Ericsson awaits clearance to race after crash

SILVERSTONE, England (Reuters) – Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson will face a medical on Sunday before he can race in the British Formula One Grand Prix after a big crash in final practice.

The Swede was taken to hospital in Oxford for checks on Saturday, missing qualifying for the race, and was then released.

Sauber said in a statement that further checks will be carried out to confirm “whether he will take part in the British Grand Prix or not.”

“It was obviously a huge accident,” said the Swede, whose struggling team have financial problems and have yet to score a point in nine races this season.

The 25-year-old apologized to his mechanics for creating extra work in a crash that left debris across the track and brought out red flags to halt the session.

“I went a bit too wide on the kerb in Turn 15 and touched the grass, which was a bit wet. I lost the car and this was followed by a big impact with the barriers.

“I went to the medical center, but, because of the impact, they wanted to send me to hospital. Many check-ups have been done and things are looking good. I am feeling a bit sore, but everything else is OK.”

Brazilian team mate Felipe Nasr qualified last.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Rex Gowar)