Brazilian racing driver Igor Fraga has spoken publicly for the first time after surviving a terrifying crash that quickly went viral.
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Fraga's car launched into the air for around four seconds during the fifth lap of the Super GT round at Fuji Speedway in Japan over the weekend.
The dramatic incident unfolded after contact with two other cars sent his vehicle flipping high into the air before it remarkably landed back on all four wheels.
Racing Driver Shares Health Update After Horror Car Crash
Fraga revealed on social media that doctors admitted him to hospital for overnight observation following the crash.
Fortunately, medical examinations found no injuries, and he has since returned home.
"There was a big crash in yesterday's race and I spent the night in the hospital under observation," he said. "The exam results showed no abnormalities, so I was released today and managed to return home."
"Thank you so much for all the warm messages and concern. I will fully dedicate myself to my recovery and work hard to make a comeback."
The race was already running under safety car conditions because of the wet track.
Although conditions had started to improve, the circuit remained slippery when the crash occurred.
The incident began when Akimasa Takaboshi attempted to overtake Fraga, triggering the chain of events that led to the spectacular accident.
Driver Accepts Responsibility for Crash
Bertrand Baguette was alongside Takaboshi when contact occurred, ultimately sending Fraga's car airborne.
After the race, Baguette accepted responsibility for the incident in a statement shared online.
"First of all, I'm relieved to know that Igor is okay after such a scary crash and that nobody else was injured," Baguette wrote.
"I was moving to the right-hand side of the track when I was surprised by car #23 slowing down to avoid overtaking car #64 before the line."
"I'm not blaming anyone else. The responsibility is mine: I should have left more margin before changing my line. I never intended to cause such a serious crash."
Baguette also apologized to Fraga, his team and the fans.
Despite the frightening accident, the race continued, with Naoki Yamamoto and Tadasuke Makino claiming victory in the Super GT Fuji 300km.
The championship now moves on to Suzuka, with the next round scheduled for August 23.
