Jenson Button was not involved in a road car accident after qualifying third in Hungary, his management and the McLaren team have clarified.
Hackers gained access to the 31-year-old Briton’s personal website late on Saturday and posted a photo of a heavily damaged red car and information that Button is in a "critical condition" in Budapest’s AEK hospital.
But a subsequent message said the news was "completely false".
"Suffice to say Jenson is safe, well and tucked up in bed looking forward to tomorrow’s race", the website reads.
"We can only apologise for any alarm this may have caused."
McLaren confirmed that Button’s website was "hacked", and a spokesman for the driver told the BBC the story was a "distasteful hoax".