French driver Sebastien Bourdais has been taken to hospital after slamming head-on into a barrier during Indianapolis 500 qualifying.

Safety team members spent about 10 minutes getting the driver out of the car before placing him on a stretcher.

He was awake, alert and was taken to Indiana University Methodist Hospital for observation.

The Dale Coyne Racing driver had just completed two laps over 231 mph – the fastest laps of the day – when his car wiggled coming through the second turn.

The car slid up the track, into a SAFER barrier and flipped over before coming to a stop down the backstretch.

Bourdais won the season-opening race at St Petersburg, Florida.