Formula One driver Mark Webber miraculously escaped a collision in which his Red Bull Racing car took off, flipped upside down and smashed into a tyre wall at 190mph at the Valencia Grand Prix today.
The incident, on lap 10 in Spain, came when the Australian attempted to overtake rival Heikki Kovalainen on one the tracks fastest sections.
Preparing to make his move: Mark Webber (behind) approached Heikki Kovalainen on lap 10 of the Valencia Grand Prix.....
.... but the Australian smashed into the back of the Lotus driver causing him to take flight and flip his car....
... and then comes crashing down on the car's roof at 190mph
However the Lotus driver attempted to defend his position leading Webber to plow into the back of him. It was then the car took off, turning 360 degrees in the air before landing on it's roof and skidding out of control off the track.
Room with a view: TV pictures captured the moment Webber took flight something like a rocket facing skywards
Lucky escape: Miraculously Webber was able to walk away from his car after it came to a stop in a tyre wall
Gives you wings: Webber had started the race from second on the grid
Incredibly Webber walked away from the incident which, had it not been for the exceptional levels of design safety on the car and indeed track surroundings, may well have been much more serious.
BBC commentator and former F1 driver David Coulthard said: 'F1 has seen one of its luckiest days.
'That could have been really, really serious. '
Coulthard later caught up with Webber and revealed: 'Mark is sitting very calmly reflecting on his low flying Red Bull. He is in good shape and physically no problem at all.
'He is looking like the chilled Aussie he is, not a man that has just had that experience.'
Earlier in the day GP2 driver Josef Kral had an equally nasty accident at turn 17. Kral was attempting to pass Rodolfo Gonazalez when he mounted the rear of his opponent, barrel-rolled into the air and buried the car deep into the tyre barrier.He was taken to hospital conscious but reporting pain in his back and right arm.
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