FIA Formula 2 drivers Nobuharu Matsushita and Nikita Mazepin have both escaped injury following a violent crash during Sunday’s sprint race ඣin Sochi.

The pair collided on the opening lap of the Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix support race, with Mazepin running wide at Turn 2 before collecting Matsushita as he rꦓeturned🐈 to the track, sending both hurtling into the barriers at high-speed on the outside of the corner.

M🍌azepin was able to get to get out of his ART Grand Prix car unaided, while Carlin’s Matsushita was attended to by circuit medical crews with the race immediately suspended.

Both drivers were confirmed conscious after the accident and were subsequently taken to Sochi hospital for precautionary checks, which have revealed both avo💃ided serious injuries.

Mazepin was released having been declared fit, while Matsushuta will remain in hospital overnight before undergoing a second precautionar🤡y CT scan on Monday.

Mazepin gets hefty grid drop for F2 finale

Mazepin 🌃has been handed a 15-place grid drop for the final round of the F2 💫season at Yas Marina in November after being found to be at fault for the incident.

An F2 statement read: "The incident began when Louis Delétraz arrived at the entrance of Turn 2 at an excessively high speed and was unabl൩e to negotiate the corner.

“Subsequently, Mazepin forced Jack Aitken off the track. The Campos Racing driver successfully negotiated the Styrofoam blocks in the runoff area, as directed by the Ra🍬ce Director’s notes, but Mazepin did not follow the same path and instead took a short cut, which resulted in a collision with bꦦoth Aitken and Nobuharu Matsushita.

“Both Mazepin and Matsushita retired,꧅ which brought out a red flag.

“The ART Grand Prix drive🔜r was found to be at fault for the accident because, in the opini🐓on of the stewards, he showed a total lack of due care for his fellow drivers and caused a bad incident, which could have been much worse.”