Detroit’s IndyCar Chevrolet Grand Prix was stopped for over an hour on Saturday after 28 of 70 laps due to a violent crash by Felix Rosenqvist on Turn 6.

Safety officers needed about 10 minutes to free the Arrow McLaren SP driver, whose # 7 Dallara-Chevrolet had a mechanical failure entering a turn. Rosenqvist’s car slammed into the wall at full speed, scattering tires and knocking down concrete barriers while causing the front to collapse.

NBC Sports on-board cameras showed Rosenqvist was awake and alert after impact, dropping his visor while waiting for help. He was loaded onto a stretcher and put into an ambulance for transport to Belle Isle Raceway Medical Center.

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IndyCar’s Dr Geoffrey Billows told NBC Sports reporter Marty Snider that Rosenqvist was “fine” and never passed out but was in pain. Billows said Rosenqvist was in stable condition when he visited the field care center for a preliminary assessment.

Dr Billows said the driver was taken to Detroit DMC Receiving Hospital in downtown Detroit for advanced lower body imaging and further evaluation.

In an Arrow McLaren SP update shortly after 8 p.m.Dr Billows said Rosenqvist would stay in the hospital overnight for observation before being released.

The team announced shortly after 9 p.m. that Oliver Askew would replace Rosenqvist in the No.7 Chevy for Sunday’s race, returning to the race Askew made 12 starts last season (including a career-high third at Iowa Speedway).

Askew, who missed two races last year with concussion-like symptoms, has been replaced by Rosenqvist for the 2021 season.

Roseqnvist tweeted on Saturday night that he was doing fine apart from “a lot of pain” and congratulated fellow Swede Marcus Ericsson on his first IndyCar victory.

I’m fine, except a lot of muscle aches! Thank you for all the messages and to @IndyCar medical staff to take care of me. What a race we had so far, disappointment… A big bravo to @Ericsson_Marcus on his first W, happy for you brother https://t.co/ue9AxWpxCP

– Félix Rosenqvist (@FRosenqvist) June 13, 2021

In another update shortly after 10 p.m., Arrow McLaren SP said the No.7 underwent a detailed examination which ruled out a pilot error, software issues or a stuck throttle for the crash.

The team blamed the wreck for a “single, non-recurring mechanical fault”.

After a “detailed examination”, the @ArrowMcLarenSP the team says it @FRosenqvist the accident was due to a “single, non-recurring mechanical fault” that was not related to driver error or issues involving Chevrolet systems / software or anything that involved the No.7 throttle system . pic.twitter.com/E6AqwMZkaq

– Nate Ryan (@nateryan) June 13, 2021

Rosenqvist had completed seven laps before the wreck. Will Power said he expected the lead to turn in Rosenqvist’s favor.

“I think Rosenqvist was probably the leader on this point, so it’s really bad for him, man,” Power told Snider. “It’s boring what happened to him. I’m sure it’s a stuck throttle. This is what it looks like, and I’ve been through it. When you walk right in, you hurt your back badly, so I hope he didn’t break his back.

The race, which is the first of a Saturday-Sunday double-run, was placed under the red flag at 2:46 p.m. ET, and the engines were restarted at 4:04 p.m. after stopping for 1 hour, 18 minutes and 36 seconds for repairs. on the wall.

Rosenqvist, 29, is in his third NTT IndyCar Series season and his first with Arrow McLaren SP. The Swede has driven the last two seasons with Chip Ganassi Racing, claiming his first victory last year at Road America.