Cristiano Ronaldo 'fine' after cheating death in Ferrari car crash - pics

Cristiano Ronaldo cheated death when he crashed his new Ferrari yesterday - turning the gleaming £200,000 supercar into a mass of mangled metal.

The Manchester United winger lost control of the 205mph motor, which he has only owned for days, while taking a bend in a tunnel.

The left-hand drive car first hit one wall of the tunnel, ripping off the front nearside wheel.

Then it bounced across the carriageway and slammed into the other wall before finally juddering to a halt.

Miraculously the 23-year-old Portuguese star walked uninjured from the wreckage, later telling friends: "I'm fine."

Jody Lomax, who was behind the Ferrari in the 60mph tunnel that worms its way beneath Manchester Airport, said: "It went straight into the wall.

"The front left-hand wheel came off. When Ronaldo got out of the car I was shocked. He was all right, he was walking. He was obviously shaken - who wouldn't be? But it's a shame about the car."

The front of the red Italian sports car was virtually demolished. Ronaldo clambered out and walked to a path to raise the alarm by mobile phone.

He was breath-tested by police but the test was negative.

Ronaldo was then given a lift to training by United goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar, who had been behind Ronaldo in his Bentley and saw the accident. Staff at the ground said Ronaldo did not seem bothered by the crash. A source said: "There wasn't a scratch on him. He told us it was an accident."

A smiling Ronaldo drove himself home in a Bentley once training finished.

Officers said that no other vehicle was involved in the smash.

PC Nigel Snell added: "Given the damage to the car, it is fortunate the driver was not injured."

Police closed the tunnel after the 10.20am accident and crash investigators spent two hours studying the scene before the road was re-opened.

Ronaldo could face further questioning about possible speeding or dangerous driving.

Ronaldo and Dutch star Van der Sar were heading for training a little later than usual following the club's 1-0 defeat to Derby County in the Carling Cup semi-final on Wednesday evening. Both live in the Cheshire village of Alderley Edge and ended up driving in convoy as they approached the M56 motorway.

They entered the first of two dual-carriageway tunnels on the A538, where oncoming traffic is separated by a solid wall. The tunnels are known as speeding blackspots.

As they travelled through the second tunnel, Ronaldo lost control of his powerful Ferrari. As it careered from side to side the car hit barriers protecting emergency exits and gouged huge marks into the concrete wall.

The half-mile tunnels take drivers beneath Manchester airport's two runways. They are policed by officers involved with perimeter security.

The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano Spider does 0-60mph in less than four seconds. It is Ferrari's first retractable hardtop convertible which has a gearshift developed by F1 technology.

Ronaldo has a stable of luxury motors said to be worth more than £2million. It includes a £140,000 Bentley Continental GT Speed and a £340,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom drophead coupe.

Last year he put his name on the two-year waiting list for a £875,000 Bugatti Veyron.

The star has also owned two Porsche Cayennes, a BMW M6, a Bentley Continental GTC, Porsche 911 and a Ferrari F430.

But as a teenager at Sporting Lisbon he used to drive to training in a humble Seat Ibiza.