MARK Webber will stay overnight in a Brazilian hospital after a high-speed crash in the final race of the World Endurance Championship.

Webber was running in sixth place in the 6 Hours of Sao Paolo at the Interlagos circuit when he collided with a slower Ferrari, driven by Matteo Cressoni, as the pair approached the 300km/h-plus Arquibancadas curve with under half an hour remaining.

Webber’s Porsche slammed heavily into the concrete wall on the right side of the track, sliding backwards into the wall on the left, before coming to rest at the entrance of pit lane.

media_camera Mark Webber.

Webber, who started the race from pole position, gave a thumbs up and a wave to the crowd as he was stretchered away from his demolished car, an ambulance then transporting him to the circuit medical centre for checks.

“Cressoni was checked by the medical staff at the side of the track and cleared, while Mark Webber, who was awake and alert, was taken to the circuit medical centre for further examination,” said a statement from the organisers.

media_camera Mark Webber gives a thumbs-up to the crowd as he is stretchered away.

The FIA reported that Webber, 38, was “awake and alert” when he arrived at the medical centre.

The crash sent a scare through the motorsport world.

Glad to see @AussieGrit is ok after his shunt at Interlagos @fiawec, that was a big one matey. — Jenson Button (@JensonButton) November 30, 2014

Very glad my mate @AussieGrit is ok after that massive shunt. Glad @Porsche Build strong cars. — Dario Franchitti (@dariofranchitti) November 30, 2014

Glad @AussieGrit is ok. That was a huge crash.... — Ryan (@RyanWalkinshaw) November 30, 2014

Scary resemblance to MW's 2003 Jaguar F1 shunt, very glad he seems ok. Very fast part of the circuit there.. @AussieGrit — Will Davison (@will_davison) November 30, 2014

A statement on Webber's Facebook page confirmed that the former Formula 1 star will be kept in hospital overnight for observation.

“Mark has been taken to a local hospital in Sao Paulo and will stay overnight for precautionary checks,” the statement said.

“He is in a satisfactory condition and his team mates Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley have gone to see him. Thanks to everyone for your messages!”

In a twist of fate, Webber’s crash sealed his Porsche team’s first race victory of the season in their return to sports car racing’s top LMP1 class.

media_camera Mark Webber’s car slides into the barrier after hitting the wall on the opposite side of the track.

The race finished under the safety car brought out for the No.20 Porsche’s crash, the sister No.14 car of Romain Dumas, Neel Jani and Marc Lieb cruising across the line to win the race from 2014 world champions Sebastien Buemi and Anthony Davidson in a Toyota.

The Porsche team’s joy at the result was subdued with Fritz Enzinger, the boss of the company’s LMP1 program, conceding that the achievement was overshadowed by Webber’s crash.

“The most important news of today is that, given the circumstances, Mark Webber is in good condition, according to the first information from the doctors,” Enzinger said.

“I find it hard to believe that we really managed to win our first race in our first WEC season, especially as our joy is overshadowed by Mark’s accident.”

Rounding out the podium was the No.1 Audi, Tom Kristensen completing a decorated racing career with a podium finish alongside teammates Lucas di Grassi and Loic Duval.

Webber has had his share of terrifying crashes, the most famous when his car backflipped on two separate occasions during the lead-up to the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1999.

Mark Webber Le Mans flip

It is also not the first time Webber has endured a high-speed shunt at that corner of the Interlagos track, crashing his Jaguar at the same spot during the 2003 Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Mark Webber Brazil 2003 F1 crash

Originally published as Mark Webber in horror crash