“Light but significant progress” for Maria de Villota

Last July 3rd, Maria de Villota was involved in an accident during straight-line aerodynamic testing organized by Marussia at Duxford Aerodrome in Great Britain. Severely injured in the face and head and having lost the use of her right eye, the Spanish driver is undergoing a convalescence period deemed remarkable in a statement released this Wednesday on the Anglo-Russian team’s website: After two surgical procedures that were successfully carried out in the days following the accident, last Saturday the medical team at Addenbrooke’s Hospital began to gradually reduce Maria’s sedation level. On Sunday, Maria was awake and able to speak to her family, which provided an important – though early – indication that there were positive signs for Maria’s recovery. Since then, Maria has made progress, slight but significant. On Monday, she left the intensive care unit of the neurology department, and she is no longer receiving tranquilizers. Her family remains by her side, and she is communicating freely with them and with the medical team. Medical assessments are underway to measure the improvement in Maria’s condition.

The circumstances of the accident, particularly the sudden acceleration of the Marussia MR01, have still not been officially explained. According to Auto Motor und Sport, the FIA may not wish to conduct an official investigation since the accident occurred during private testing; however, Charlie Whiting indicated in the German magazine that he wanted to examine the helmet to understand exactly what happened.