TBK-Light.com

this track really looks simular to circuit the Catalunya in Barcalona

The major talking point of the session was that it was stopped for a lengthy period after a huge accident befalling Brazilian female Ana Beatriz.

She went straight on at the first turn, scrubbing off little speed before heading into the tyres head first. The safety cell of the A1GP Powered by Ferrari car stood up well to the crash, and Beatriz was able to walk from the car unaided, without serious injury.

However, the rest of the car was badly damaged in the incident and the tyre barriers took time to repair before the session could restart.

Team Brazil was forced to miss the session after Bia Figueiredo suffered a massive shunt in the rookie session when she crashed head on into the tyres at Turn 1, in an accident similar to the one suffered by Heikki Kovalainen in last year's Spanish Grand Prix. She was fortunately unhurt in the high-speed impact.

from autosport.com


So who was driving that Brazil car?

Ana Beatriz (Bia for short) Figueiredo.

Her actual name is Ana Beatriz Figueiredo and she is known here in Brazil as Bia Figueiredo. IIRC, she was presented with this name when took part another rookie session of A1 GP at Shanghai in 2007.

But since she started to drive in USA, she's been called Ana Beatriz.

Figueiredo can be tricky for English speaking people, so Ana Beatriz is the most common name for her.

Her actual name is Ana Beatriz Figueiredo and she is known here in Brazil as Bia Figueiredo. IIRC, she was presented with this name when took part another rookie session of A1 GP at Shanghai in 2007.

But since she started to drive in USA, she's been called Ana Beatriz.

To be fair though gravel didn't help Burti.

A1 Team Brazil’s Ana Beatriz said that her 250 km/hour smash in rookie practice this morning was the biggest of her racing career.

The silver Brazilian car scrubbed off very little speed after a braking problem meant she careered head first into the tyre barriers, having shot over the gravel trap at the end of the main straight.. Beatriz said she had no warning of the smash, which occurred 13 minutes into the second half hour of this morning’s rookie practice.

The safety cell of the A1GP Powered by Ferrari car withstood the huge force of the impact, and Beatriz was able to walk from the car unaided. The only injury she sustained was a small bruise to her nose as the helmet hit the steering wheel.

Beatriz was competing in only her second rookie practice for the team, having been part of the squad in Shanghai in Season Two.

“I’m physically fine,” Beatriz told A1GP.com after the accident. “When I got out I was more worried about the car than myself! I want the team to do well so it was disappointment. I was impressed with the way the car held up because I thought the front of the car was done in.

“I’m used to racing superfast ovals but I never had a big crash like that. It was a big impact. I could see the tyres right in front of me when I crashed.

“I was just scared at that moment when I couldn’t brake. I realised I was going to crash and I thought I had to do something and I moved my arms towards me.

“In karts I have broken arms still holding the steering wheel on impact. I just had to wait for it to happen.”