Joao Vieira left Mugello with burns and minor injuries after his race two crash. The Italian F4 Championship driver was hit from behind after his car stalled on the start line.
As the lights went out for race two, the Brazilian was left stranded as the field flooded past him; A clutch issue turned out to be the cause as he was hit from behind by Jaden Conwright who did not see Vieira after starting on the back row.
The resulting clash destroyed the rear of Vieira’s car. A tyre was torn away from the vehicle breaking a radiator and narrowly missing Vieira’s head. The radiator leaked 80°C water onto his leg, causing first degree burns, he was taken to hospital but was later discharged.
“Luckily everything went fine, and I got by with only a burn on my leg. These cars are very safe, even if we have still to work to protect the head better. In the impact, the rear tire almost touched my head. The important thing is that I am fine. For sure I’ll be on track in Vallelunga”, Joao Vieira said.
The crash also saw two further drivers involved – After Conwright hit the back of Vieira, his car veered off course, collecting Giacomo Bianchi and Mariano Lavigna. As the marshalls ran onto the circuit, Lavigna limped out of his car, he would not return for the rest of the weekend.
Amazingly, Vieira did return for the final race, though he failed to gain any positions and finished last, two tenths behind Conwright.
