Well I watched that race and the crash when it happened....it was as bad a crash as I have ever seen in F1. He ended up having a tweaked ankle and I am pretty sure only missed one race, I could be wrong.
F1 does not race on an oval at all...each race is held at a different track in a different country. All tracks are road courses with left and right hand turns, the only track that I can think of that uses any part of an oval was the US Grand Prix....I state was, because F1 could not reach agreement with Indy to resign a contract for next year and it is doubtful that F1 will return to the US. I compare it to the sport of soccer (which I also love) in the US F1 and Soccer are both secondary sports that other people watch, but in the rest of the world F1 and soccer are HUGE! The US does not draw enough fans to these sports to keep the owners interested in being in the US. In fact as far as F1 is concerned there were several other countries that wanted to take the USGP's place in the schedule that they offered the F1 governing body more $$$$ than your could imagine for the chance to host one of the race events.
I went to the F1 USGP this year and it was a thrill to see these cars in person. I was able to get tickets at the end of the straightaway just before turn one...the cars break from 200mph to take the first turn right in front of me.
If you are in another country and have the chance to see a F1 race or watch a Pro Soccer match, I would go and see how fanatic others get when watching a sport they love!
eyetek