Frenchman Theo Purser was attacked by Brazilian Enzo Fitzbalti at the start of the Formula 2 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix race in Jeddah on Sunday. The pilots were evacuated by ambulance to the Circuit Medical Center, from where a medical helicopter took off, an AFP reporter said.

The Frenchman, who could still dream of a world title before the race, was third in the starting line-up. But his car stalled when the lights went out and the Brazilian, the son of former Formula 1 world champion Emerson Fittibaldi, could not avoid it.

Two awareness pilots

“The pilots were immediately taken care of by emergency and medical teams,” it said in a statement. They were “known and evacuated by medical teams there. They were transferred by ambulance and helicopter to King Fahad Armed Hospital in Jeddah.

Earlier, Canal + reported that Pursair had left his car unconscious and had taken off his helmet himself. The race was interrupted immediately, to resume after forty minutes, and then stopped systematically and prematurely after another minor accident and a new red flag.