Marussia to Attribute de Villota Crash to Human Error and Circumstances
Marussia is preparing to conclude that Maria de Villota’s Duxford testing crash was the result of a sequence of mistakes, not a technical failure of the car.
Marussia is expected to release its findings within days on the crash that left Maria de Villota with life-changing injuries, concluding that a combination of mistakes and circumstances led to the incident during a straight-line test at Duxford earlier in July 2012.
No Mechanical Failure Found
Marussia’s internal investigation ruled out any technical failure of the 2012 car as the cause of the crash. Team principal John Booth stated at Hockenheim that the team was “100 per cent confident” the car was not to blame. This position will be formalised in the upcoming report, which is expected to detail a sequence of human errors and situational factors that led to de Villota’s collision with a stationary truck at the end of a test run.
The team’s findings follow de Villota’s 17-day treatment in Cambridge for severe head and facial injuries, including the loss of her right eye, before her transfer to a hospital in Madrid. The report will be released as external investigations by authorities continue, a process Marussia has described as likely to be lengthy.
Sequence of Events Leading to the Crash
According to details reported by Auto Motor und Sport, the crash occurred as de Villota returned the car to the temporary pits after a run on the Duxford runway. The approach involved a curve, which meant the steering wheel was not in its usual position, complicating her attempt to find the clutch lever. It is believed she did not press the neutral button, and with cold tyres and brakes, she struggled to stop the car as the powerful engine continued to drive the car forward in a low gear.
The combination of these factors, possibly compounded by a moment of panic or confusion, resulted in the Marussia striking the tail-lift of a stationary support truck. The team’s report is expected to characterise the incident as a “chain of unfortunate circumstances and mistakes”, rather than a single error or technical shortcoming.
Ongoing External Investigations
While Marussia’s own findings are imminent, external investigations by regulatory authorities remain underway. The team has warned that these processes could take considerable time to reach their own conclusions. De Villota’s accident has raised questions about procedures during straight-line testing and the protocols for bringing a car to a halt in non-standard pit environments.
For more on the technical investigation, seeMarussia Clears Car of Blame in Maria de Villota Testing Crash.
