Home
News
In Focus
Business
Metro
Nation
World
Sports
Feature
Opinion
View more »Opinion Columns
Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
Restaurants get off to a quick start thanks to game-changing policies
High service charges on event ticket refunds call for further regulation
Sunday
- Subscribe
Related News
Home » Sports » Motor Racing
Race-fixing scam puts drivers on back foot
Source: Agencies |
September 25, 2009, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
FORMULA One's fastest men expressed dismay at the Renault race-fixing scandal yesterday and called for a line to be drawn under the saga.
"I don't think it is ideal for our sport," Red Bull's Mark Webber said in Singapore.
"We work hard to get here, and (this) is not what the sport is about. I am running out of patience sticking up for the sport and I am sure everybody else is too."
Last year's world champion Lewis Hamilton was less keen to talk about Renault or Nelson Piquet Jr's actions.
"It's not our job to comment on it," said the McLaren driver. "Our job is to concentrate and put on a great show for everyone."
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen trod a similar line: "It is not a nice thing, but there is nothing I can change," said the Finn.
Australian Webber warmed to the theme, however. "It is a very complex situation," he said when asked about Piquet's lack of punishment.
"I only see what you guys see ... What he should get is not easy to comment on. Enough damage has been done. That's what he did and that's what he has to live with. It will be very difficult to come back.
"The stuff that goes on, goes on ... what can we do? We want to be taken seriously but at the moment we are on the back of another bad example. We are not proud of that but we cannot do anything about it."
Championship leader Jenson Button said that he was relieved the issue had been dealt with.
"I'm an individual and I can't speak for the sport," said the Briton. "It's obviously very sad but the good thing is that it's over and done with now. We can move on and for us, concentrate on good racing. We've had some great battles this season, last season and the season before and that's all I care about," added the Brawn driver.
"What happens off the circuit is down to the people involved. What goes on the circuit has been fantastic and long may that continue."
While the drivers were in agreement that it would be hard for Piquet to return to Formula One - Button said he had no sympathy for someone who would crash on purpose - Williams driver Nico Rosberg tried to add some perspective.
"We have this everywhere in life, there is always going to be individuals who do something illegal," said the German, who finished second behind Piquet's teammate Fernando Alonso in last year's tainted Singapore race.
"We have to get them out of the way and that has been done so now we have to get on with it."
"I don't think it is ideal for our sport," Red Bull's Mark Webber said in Singapore.
"We work hard to get here, and (this) is not what the sport is about. I am running out of patience sticking up for the sport and I am sure everybody else is too."
Last year's world champion Lewis Hamilton was less keen to talk about Renault or Nelson Piquet Jr's actions.
"It's not our job to comment on it," said the McLaren driver. "Our job is to concentrate and put on a great show for everyone."
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen trod a similar line: "It is not a nice thing, but there is nothing I can change," said the Finn.
Australian Webber warmed to the theme, however. "It is a very complex situation," he said when asked about Piquet's lack of punishment.
"I only see what you guys see ... What he should get is not easy to comment on. Enough damage has been done. That's what he did and that's what he has to live with. It will be very difficult to come back.
"The stuff that goes on, goes on ... what can we do? We want to be taken seriously but at the moment we are on the back of another bad example. We are not proud of that but we cannot do anything about it."
Championship leader Jenson Button said that he was relieved the issue had been dealt with.
"I'm an individual and I can't speak for the sport," said the Briton. "It's obviously very sad but the good thing is that it's over and done with now. We can move on and for us, concentrate on good racing. We've had some great battles this season, last season and the season before and that's all I care about," added the Brawn driver.
"What happens off the circuit is down to the people involved. What goes on the circuit has been fantastic and long may that continue."
While the drivers were in agreement that it would be hard for Piquet to return to Formula One - Button said he had no sympathy for someone who would crash on purpose - Williams driver Nico Rosberg tried to add some perspective.
"We have this everywhere in life, there is always going to be individuals who do something illegal," said the German, who finished second behind Piquet's teammate Fernando Alonso in last year's tainted Singapore race.
"We have to get them out of the way and that has been done so now we have to get on with it."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
