BAKU: Indian driver Kush Maini on Sunday survived a horrifying crash after he stalled at the start of feature race in Formula 2, a support race to Formula 1.

The scary incident occurred on the opening lap of the Formula 2 race which preceded the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The 23-year-old Indian had nowhere to go at the race start as the engine of his car stopped working suddenly. That left fellow drivers Josep Maria Marti and Oliver Goethe unsighted, leading to a massive collision.

The rear of Maini's car was totally destroyed by the impact of the crash and fortunately, he came out of it unscathed.

Maini's father Gautam confirmed to PTI that his son was doing fine.

"He is doing okay. As part of the standard protocol all medical check ups were conducted on Kush and all reports are normal," he said.

Maini, representing Invicta Racing in his second Formula 2 season, is 11th in the standings. The race was won by Richard Verschoor of Trident.

Safety has improved drastically in motorsport over the past two decades but the sport remains dangerous. Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert had succumbed to his injuries following an accident at the iconic Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium in 2019. The Frenchman was only 22.

Jules Bianchi, who was only 25, had died following a collision with a recovery vehicle during the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix in 2014. The FIA had introduced Halo, a head protecting device, on all Formula 1 cars post the fatal accident.