From GMM

Kamui Kobayashi has been put on standby to possibly race in Sunday's Japanese grand prix.

Timo Glock has a heavy cold and on Friday sat out practice with a high fever, and on Saturday was transported to a local hospital after cutting his leg and twinging his back in a high speed qualifying crash.

Glock seemed not to steer properly for the easy-flat right hand sweeper after the Casio Triangle chicane on the run to the pit straight.

He left the road and struck the conveyor-belt protected tyre barriers at high speed, reportedly lightly cutting his left upper leg. Official reports said his condition was otherwise 'good'.

Glock was transferred by stretcher to an ambulance and to the medical centre, and then by helicopter to Yokkaichi hospital.

"He is okay," team president John Howett, who confirmed that the telemetry showed no failure of the TF109 car, told German television Sky. "He has been taken to hospital only for checks.

"He has a small cut to his left leg and a little back pain, but nothing else."

Howett said he hopes Glock is able to race on Sunday.

"We hope so, because we do not want to go to the start of our home race with one car." Glock's teammate Jarno Trulli is on the front row of the grid.

Howett continued: "There will probably be no decision (about Glock) until early tomorrow. He is a fighter, and if he is able to drive, I know he will."

According to the rules, a substitute driver can only be appointed prior to Saturday morning practice. But it is believed that Howett will be making a case of 'force majeure' to the stewards of the meeting.

Possibly in 23-year-old Kobayashi's favour is that he subbed for Glock on Friday, even though both sessions were wet.

"We will have to wait and see what they (the stewards) say," Howett is quoted as saying in the German media.