F1 drivers seek crash investigation after Maria de Villota left in critical condition

VETERAN driver Pedro de la Rosa says Formula One must learn from the tragic crash that cost test driver Maria de Villota her right eye.

Maria De Villota

FORMULA One must learn lessons from the tragic testing crash that cost Marussia team test driver Maria de Villota her right eye and left her in a critical condition, says fellow Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix, the veteran Hispania team driver told reporters that he wanted a full investigation into the accident at a straight-line test session at Duxford Aerodrome near Cambridge this week.

De la Rosa, who is chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers Association, said: "We will put the facts on the table to see if there is anything we need to change to improve.

"When an accident happens, it means that something didn't work properly. We need to make sure between the FIA, the teams and the GPDA that we make changes for the future becaue it's not good enough."

Aerodynamic testing is only permitted at FIA-approved venues, so safety standards are already high, but de la Rosa is adamant that lessons can be learned from what happened.

He stressed that he has not yet received any information on the crash and said he was unwilling to draw any conclusions, but added the need for the sport to ensure that there is no repeat of such an accident.

"The first thing we need to do is understand what happened, what safety measures were taken and how the airfield was prepared for Formula 1 testing," de la Rosa said.

"We know the sole objective of making sure nothing like that happens again. But first we need to know the facts and we have no information whatsoever at the moment."

De Villota regained consciousness in hospital at Cambridge yesterday, two days after her accident.