Toyota's Anthony Davidson was involved in a massive accident during the opening quarter of the 2012 Le Mans 24 hour race.
Davidson was in good spirits following qualifying on Thursday evening after he put the TS030 Hybrid on third place on the grid but his accident five hours into the race put pay to his target of a podium.
The 33-year-old took over from Sebastien Buemi after decent stints from the Swiss driver and Stephane Sarrazin had left the team fighting for the lead.
But early into his stint the Briton was clipped by the LMPGTE Ferrari driven by Italy's Piergiuseppe Perazzini and crashed heavily into the barrier after a spectacular mid-air flip.
Perazzini walked away from the accident but Davidson was treated by medical staff at the scene, with the race continuing behind the safety car for over 30 minutes as marshals reconstructed the tyre wall decimated by Davidson's car.
The Toyota team released a statement on Davidson's condition not long after the race had re-started following the prolonged safety car period.
It read: "Anthony Davidson was taken to the circuit medical centre following his accident during the Le Mans 24 Hours.
"Doctors at the circuit have confirmed that Anthony is suffering from shock and back pain, however there are no signs of any injuries and he is walking and talking with no problems.
"He will be taken to a local hospital for precautionary checks but the team is relieved and happy to hear he is okay. Further updates will follow in due course."
