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Nicolas Atkin

Sophia Floersch has vowed to come back from her Macau Grand Prix horror crash after undergoing 11 hours of surgery on a fractured spine.
The German teenager was catapulted off the Guia Circuit track, over the crash barriers and into a photographer’s tribune at more than 275 kilometres per hour (171 miles per hour) in Sunday’s Formula Three race.
She is “lucky to be alive”, according to her Van Amersfoort Racing team owner Frits van Amersfoort, who revealed there had been fears the 17-year-old might suffer paralysis.
“I’m going to come back,” Florsch wrote in an update on her Facebook page.


“I survived the operation which took 11 hours well. Hope from now on it only gets better. I have to stay a few more days in Macau until I’m transportable.
“I want to thank all of my fans for every single get-well wishes, which I now start reading. This really motivates me and gives me courage.”
Sophia Floersch: how safety measures – and dumb luck – helped teenage driver survive Macau Grand Prix horror crash
Floersch was taken to the emergency room at Conde S. Januario General Hospital along with fellow driver Sho Tsuboi – whom she crashed into before being launched 12 feet in the air – as well as two photographers and a marshal who were caught up in the incident at Lisboa corner.
“My thoughts are also with everyone who was involved in the accident. I hope everybody is healthy,” she added.

“At the accident were really nice people, which I still have in my mind. Thank you for all the encouraging, calming words in these tough minutes in my car.
“A real big thanks to the medical staff here in Macau for the friendly and professional treatment.”
According to The Guardian, Tsuboi was taken to hospital with back pain; photographers Chan Weng Wang and Minami Hiroyuki suffered a lacerated liver and concussion, respectively; and marshal Chan Cha In suffered broken facial bones and lacerations.
Sophia Floersch ‘lucky to be alive’ after Macau Grand Prix crash with paralysis feared before 10 hours of surgery
Her father Alex Floersch has said that he would not try and stop his daughter racing again.
“We have not yet spoken about whether she will race again – it is too soon for that – but from my point of view there is nothing I would do to stop her,” he told Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper.

“The doctors say that if everything continues to progress satisfactorily that she will be in hospital in Macau for six or seven days before flying back to Germany.”


A red flag immediately halted the race for around an hour after the crash, as Floersch’s fellow drivers came back to the pit lane, with spectators at the track and viewers watching from home clueless as to her condition.
Sophia Floersch crash at Macau Grand Prix: surgery ‘going well’ for teenage Formula Three driver
“Those 30 or 40 minutes after the crash were the hardest minutes of my life,” he added. “Trying to find her was very difficult. I did not know what was going on. All sorts of concerns come into your mind at a time like that.
“The FIA and all the medics did a great job and I would like to thank them for everything they did.”

Dutchman Van Amersfoort is also confident that Floersch will get back behind the wheel for his team.
“I’m quite sure that Sophia will [race again] – after some time of course,” he told the BBC.
“Luckily enough winter is now beginning so she will have time to recover and I am quite sure that she will be back.
“That’s what the racing blood always does – coming back because this is the sport we all love.”
Macau Grand Prix: Sophia Floersch crash sees teenager fracture spine as car flies off track through fence


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Macau Grand Prix

Sophia Floersch horror crash at Macau Grand Prix: ‘I’m going to come back’, teenager vows after 11 hours of surgery

Sophia Floersch’s car is launched into the air after hitting the car of Japanese driver Sho Tsuboi. Photo: Twitter

F3 woman racer Sophia Flörsch at the Macau Grand Prix, Macau. 16NOV18 SCMP / K. Y. Cheng

Sophia Floersch: how safety measures – and dumb luck – helped teenage driver survive Macau Grand Prix horror crash

Sophia Floersch’s car flies towards a photographers’ bunker at the Lisboa corner. Photo: Twitter

Sho Tsuboi's rollhoop

Sophia Florsch's car loses its left-sided wheels after hitting the barrier

Photographer Christian Hart shows the damage inside the bunker

The raised inside kerbs at the Guia Circuit for the Macau Grand Prix

Seventeen-year-old F3 woman racer Sophia Flörsch at the Macau Grand Prix, Macau. 16NOV18 SCMP / K. Y. Cheng

Sophia Floersch ‘lucky to be alive’ after Macau Grand Prix crash with paralysis feared before 10 hours of surgery

Sophia Floersch’s car lies wrecked at Lisboa corner. Photo: Twitter

Sophia Floersch crash at Macau Grand Prix: surgery ‘going well’ for teenage Formula Three driver

Sophia Floersch’s car flies into the air and off the track at the Macau Grand Prix. Photo: Twitter

Macau Grand Prix: Sophia Floersch crash sees teenager fracture spine as car flies off track through fence

Sophia Floersch’s car crashes through the fence. Photo: Twitter

Macau Grand Prix 2018 crash

Photo: Twitter

The chequered flag waves as Dan Ticktum wins the Formula Three World Cup at the Macau Grand Prix.

Dan Ticktum celebrates on the podium after winning the Formula Three World Cup at the Macau Grand Prix.

Sport

Motorsport

German will stay in Macau for a ‘few more days until I’m transportable’
The 17-year-old undergoes 11 hours of surgery on fractured spine


The German 17-year-old will stay in Macau for ‘a few more days until I’m transportable’ after undergoing 11 hours of surgery on fractured spine


Macau

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Sophia Floersch horror crash at Macau Grand Prix: ‘I’m going to come back’, teenager vows after 11 hours of surgery

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}German will stay in Macau for a ‘few more days until I’m transportable’ The 17-year-old undergoes 11 hours of surgery on fractured spine

German will stay in Macau for a ‘few more days until I’m transportable’

The 17-year-old undergoes 11 hours of surgery on fractured spine