Formula 3 driver Sophia Floersch says she is starting a “new chapter” as she returns to Germany following her dramatic high-speed crash in Macau.

Floersch, 17, had an 11-hour operation after fracturing her spine on 18 November, with doctors using bone from her hip to repair one of her vertebrae.

In a social media post on Monday, she said she had celebrated her “second birthday” on the day of the crash.

She added: “I’m still overwhelmed by all the support I got from you fans.”

Van Amersfoort Racing driver Floersch hit the back of Jehan Daruvala’s car on lap four of the F3 Macau Grand Prix, then launched over the inside kerb into the car of Sho Tsuboi. That impact catapulted her car over the barrier and into an area occupied by marshals and photographers.

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Team owner Frits van Amersfoort estimated she was travelling at 276km/h (171.6mph) and said she had had an “angel on her shoulder” to survive the crash.

On Monday, she said: “Today I am flying back home. Really happy to see all my family and friends in the next days again.

“Now a new chapter starts and I can’t wait for it to begin. Let’s focus on 2019.”

In her Formula 3 season, Floersch has scored just one point with a 10th-placed finish in Austria. The 17-year old girl has managed to pick up a few podiums in her entire racing career. She picked up three podiums in the Ginetta Junior Championship in 2015. Also, in 2016, she scored 2 podiums in the ADAC Formula 4 championship.

As she said, Floersch is excited to start racing in 2019 and put this crash behind her. Hopefully, she will bounce back and establish herself as a strong contender for wins and podiums.