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F1: Mark Webber shakes hands with Heikki Kovalainen after crash

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Khatir Soltani
From GMM

Whilst being checked by doctors in Valencia's medical centre on Sunday, Mark Webber and Heikki Kovalainen shook hands.

Webber's Red Bull had backflipped spectacularly at full speed after hitting the back of Kovalainen's slower Lotus, before ploughing headfirst into a tyre barrier.

image f1.com


Pundits immediately said Finn Kovalainen should have let Webber pass, due to the big speed difference between their cars.

"In the end the thing that surprised me was how early he braked, that's the thing which caught me out," Mark Webber told the BBC.

He was slightly critical of Kovalainen's "aggressive" driving, but said the real reason for the crash was the difference between the cars.

"It turns out it's about 80 metres before I braked for the previous lap so I mean it's a different category," said Mark Webber.

Also to the BBC, Heikki Kovalainen said he thought Mark Webber was "surprised how early I had to brake", but in a press release said he must have "missed his braking point and he ran into me".


Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
Automotive expert
As a car enthusiast, he tests and compares vehicles from different categories through the eyes of the consumer, ensuring relevant and objective reviews.
  • Over 6 years experience as a car reviewer
  • Over 50 test drives in the last year
  • Involved in discussions with virtually every auto manufacturer in Canada