Damon Hill's final British Grand Prix was overshadowed yesterday by Michael Schumacher's 140 m.p.h. smash which resulted in the German being airlifted from the circuit for an operation on a broken right leg.

Schumacher, starting from second on the grid, got away poorly and was passed by McLaren's David Coulthard and his own team-mate Eddie Irvine. Attempting to regain position along the Hangar Straight, Schumacher outpaced Irvine, but as his car rocketed into Stowe Corner and the German applied the brakes, all four wheels locked sending the two-time world champion across the gravel traps and nose-first into the tyre wall.

With the race already red flagged, just four seconds before Schumacher's smash, a second start was ordered as a medical team rushed towards the crumpled Ferrari. After a protracted examination Schumacher was lifted from the car and taken by ambulance to the on site medical centre where he was diagnosed with a broken leg but was conscious and stable. As the race restarted, the German was helicoptered to nearby Northampton General Hospital, where, according to a Ferrari spokesman he was operated on.

"He has two clean breaks in his right leg, one in the tibia and one in the fibula," said the spokesman.

He has some severe bruising from the safety belts but is otherwise okay." The remains of the smashed Ferrari were flown to Italy last night for examination but preliminary tests showed that Schumacher had a problem with his rear brakes going into Stowe.

"There appears to be a brake problem, although we don't know the specifics yet," said the spokesman. "But the car will go back to Maranello, where there will be an investigation. It seems to be an unusual problem so there will be a very deep and intensive examination."

Whatever the outcome, it is certain that Schumacher will be sidelined for at least six weeks and the Ferrari number one could miss four races, a disastrous blow to his and his team's world championship ambitions.

After yesterday's race, eventually won by David Coulthard and with Irvine second, McLaren have closed the constructors title gap to just two points. However, Schumacher's chief rival, Mika Hakkinen, eight points ahead of the German before the start of yesterday's race, also failed to finish, after two disastrous pit stops had failed to secure his rear left wheel correctly resulting in the Finn losing the wheel.

He struggled back to pits on three and had a new wheel fitted but brake damage from the trip back to the garage forced him to retire six laps later. The main beneficiary is Eddie Irvine, who now moves into equal second in the title race alongside his team leader. With all the wrangling over driver equality Irvine has been involved in, the Ulsterman now finds himself in the bizarre situation of being lead Ferrari driver and in with a real shout of the title. It was an eventuality that Irvine had not prepared for.

"I don't know what happens," he admitted, when asked whether his contractual obligation to defer to Schumacher would now be thrown out, when Schumacher returns.

"I have a contract which I must adhere to, otherwise I'm sure I'll get the sack! But I honestly don't know."

Irvine had initially been under the impression that his team-mate's injuries were not serious but later wished Schumacher a speedy recovery.

"I look forward to seeing him back in the car as soon as possible," said a subdued Irvine, who then gave his version of events.

I got a good start and Michael had a really bad one. I was able to keep with David Coulthard through the quick stuff, but in the corners he takes a completely different line to me, so I had to brake and got a bit wide. Then at Stowe, Michael was behind me and suddenly just came flying past with all four wheels locked."

While Schumacher's mangled car was removed and the tyre wall was rebuilt, a restart was organised - an agonising wait for Schumacher's younger brother Ralf who sat waiting for news of his brother's condition.

"It was certainly not nice to get back in the car," admitted the Williams driver who eventually claimed a podium place, holding off Jordan's Heinz-Harald Frentzen to finish third.

"At first I didn't realise what had happened but then the team told me. When they told me he was out of the car I was all right.

"It looks like he was going really quickly. But I doubt that a driver like Michael would go straight into the tyre wall like that. I guess there was something wrong. It's not a place you go off like that."

Replacements for Schumacher will be difficult for the team to find, especially in the light of Jordan's struggle to fill Damon Hill's seat. Test-driver Luca Badoer, currently racing with minnows Minardi, is the obvious choice, but Ferrari may, like Jordan, seek new talent outside the F1 arena.