Carlos Sainz has been airlifted to hospital following a heavy crash during final practice for the Russian Grand Prix.
Sainz went off at Turn 13 - a tight right hander at the end of a DRS zone - with his car becoming embedded below the tecpro barrier. The session was red flagged with 25 minutes still to run, with Sainz being extricated from the car and giving the thumbs up to TV cameras as he was loaded in to an ambulance on the back of a stretcher.
The FIA confirmed Sainz was conscious and talking when he was removed from the car, with the Toro Rosso driver initially being taken to the circuit medical centre before being airlifted to a local hospital.
An FIA spokesman said doctors need to wait for the adrenaline to subside following the incident, with Sainz having tried to remove his own helmet after the crash.
Big Sainz crash halts FP3 in Sochi
AS IT HAPPENED: Russian Grand Prix FP3
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