A FEMALE racing driver left with facial and head injuries after crashing a Formula 1 car is conscious.

Maria De Villota, was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, following today’s (Tuesday) crash at the Imperial war Museum Duxford.

She was testing Maruissa’s MR-01 car for the first time when she collided with a lorry tail lift at a slow speed

A team spokesman said: “Since Maria’s arrival at the hospital at approximately 10.45am this morning, she has been receiving the best medical attention possible at the hospital, which is the region’s major trauma centre.

“Maria is conscious and medical assessments are ongoing. The team will await the outcome of these assessments before providing further comment.

“The team’s first priority at this time is Maria and her family.”

A statement for the ambulance service released this morning said the driver had suffered life threatening injuries.

The service contacted the police after the collision and Cambridgeshire Constabulary has notified the Health and Safety Executive to probe the incident.

Chris Mann from BBC Radio Cambridgeshire was an eyewitness to the crash.

The drive time presenter said: “The car just strangely just accelerated into the big truck that brought it there. There was a board down, like a loading board, and the car went careering into the side of that probably doing only 20 or 30mph.

He added: “From where I was standing it looked like the helmet took the brunt of the impact,”

“There was a terrible moment when everyone was just very shocked by the impact and the suddenness of what had happened.”

The 32-year-old Spaniard was at the airfield for the first of two days of Formula 1 testing at Duxford.

A museum spokesman said: “The Imperial War Museum can confirm that an incident occurred during this morning’s F1 testing. Testing has been suspended whilst team personnel and the medical services asses the situation. The museum is open as normal.”