In an unhappy coincidence, Sebastien Buemi’s first cousin on Friday also had a scary incident on a motor racing circuit.
While Swiss Buemi, 21, emerged unscathed after his front suspension shattered during Shanghai practice, his female cousin Natacha Gachnang was not so lucky.
Her Ford GT car speared off the Abu Dhabi layout at full speed during qualifying for the new GT1 championship, striking a barrier head-on.
22-year-old Gachnang, who had to be cut from the mangled car, broke her right tibia (leg) in the crash that occurred at the end of the 1.2km straight, while a cameraman broke his nose.