Santino Ferrucci shot to second on the leaderboard with less than two hours remaining on the third day of practice for the Indianapolis 500, but then found the wall moments later.
The driver of the No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda was running in a group with several cars and pushed a quick lap of 224.922 mph. However, just two laps later he entered Turn 2 when the rear appeared to snap around and he backed into the SAFER Barrier on exit before coasting to a stop in the middle of the track.
The car sustained heavy damage, especially to the left rear.
REPLAY: @SantinoFerrucci has been checked and will be sent to Methodist Hospital for further evaluation following this incident at @IMS.#INDYCAR // #INDY500 pic.twitter.com/CpQa1zf0Vf
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) May 20, 2021
While Ferrucci, who finished fourth in last year’s Indy 500, was able to get out of the car, he appeared to have problems putting weight down on his left leg and was carried by the AMR Safety Team as a result and transported to the Infield Care Center.
After roughly 25 minutes, Dr. Geoffrey Billows provided an update on Ferrucci.
“He just has a minor injury on his left leg,” Billows told NBC Sports reporter Dillon Welch during practice coverage on Peacock. “We’re just sending him downtown for some advanced imaging. He’s able to bear weight. He’s conscious and alert. No really significant injuries.”
Billows was optimistic Ferrucci would be able to return to the cockpit for Fast Friday tomorrow, but would not commit to an answer prior to the hospital evaluation.
“I would think so,” he said, “but it’s going to depend upon what they see with the advanced evaluation.”
