Ralf said that he has no memory of the accident that would see him taken to hospital.

He said: "I saw a few scenes on the hospital television - that's it. I can't remember anything else - except for perhaps the start of the race.

"I can't remember how, where, when. There's nothing there. It's as if the scenes of the accident have been erased."

As for his future Ralf was not prepared to even consider a time for his return. For him it is important to rest and try and recover from his back injuries.

Ralf added: "Right now I need some rest, just rest. At the earliest, in a few days, I'll be able to say what's going to happen next.

"At the moment, I'm definitely not thinking about motor racing," he said in the interview given before he flew home to Salzburg late on Monday. "I just want to go home. I want to go to my wife and son."

As for the extent of his injuries Ralf said that they related to his back and that they were causing him pain such that he was having trouble sleeping.

Ralf said: "I had a severe concussion and a large bruise on my back - that's what hurts the most. I try to sit rather than stand up or walk."

This is the second major accident that Ralf has been involved in that have forced him to spend time out of the car. Last September Ralf suffered a major testing accident at Monza which saw him miss the Italian Grand Prix.