FIA initiates investigation into Anthoine Hubert crash

The FIA, motorsport's governing body, has initiated a formal investigation into the crash that led to the tragic death of Anthoine Hubert in Saturday's F2 feature race at Spa.

The young Frenchman was on the receiving end of an unfortunate set of circumstances that ignited as the field head up the Raidillon hill.

Hubert lost control at the exit of the corner while trying to avoid another car. He subsequently hit the tyre barrier and rebounded onto the track where he was hit at full speed by the oncoming car of Juan Manuel Correa.

Hubert succumbed to his injuries an hour later at Liège's CHU Hospital while Correa suffered multiple fractures to his feet and minor spinal damage.

• Ricciardo struggled to race after Hubert tragedy

"There’s an investigation [which] started yesterday and it will go from here," said FIA race director Michael Masi, quoted by RaceFans.net.

"The FIA with our technical department, our safety department, all of the various departments within the FIA, have commenced an investigation immediately.

"The FIA, together with the RACB, the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium, will work together with the authorities and the investigation will go from there."

The horrendous crash and its consequences led to the cancellation of the Formula series' Sunday sprint race.

"It was a decision that was made jointly by the FIA as a whole together with the F2 promoter with the full support of the F1 Group," Masi explained.

"I don’t think there’s any obvious precedent. You’ve got to look at everything on the circumstances."

While there is no such thing as zero risk in motorsport, Masi underscored once again the FIA's relentless quest for improving safety.

"Safety is ever evolving," he added. "Once different technologies become available, different materials become available, safety is an ever evolving process.

"For me it is something that will never end.

"I’ve said it before and I’ll repeat it: Safety is one of the core pillars of the FIA, part of why they exist.

"That was something that just won’t stop. We’ll continue to research and look at things and improve things as best we can."

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter