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
Valencia wants a re-think over ban
Source: Agencies |
July 28, 2009, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE European Grand Prix organizers have called for a re-think over the suspension placed on Spaniard Fernando Alonso's Renault team for next month's race in Valencia.
Renault was suspended from the next race after a wheel came off Alonso's car and bounced away to the side of the track during the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday.
"We believe that (while safety is the priority) it is also necessary to think of the fans," Valmor Sport vice-president Jorge Martinez Aspar told Spanish media yesterday. "As everyone knows, many of them have bought tickets to see Fernando Alonso race in Valencia. We don't think they should be the ones to pay for this decision.
"It would be a shame if he wasn't in the race and we are confident he could be there, although we recognise it will be difficult after all the other incidents that happened last weekend."
Race stewards ruled that Renault had released Alonso from a pit stop in Budapest knowing that the wheel was not properly secured and then failing to tell the driver.
FIA said that radio transmissions demonstrated that Alonso had contacted the team relaying concern that he had a "tire puncture."
"When I left the pits there was a lot of vibration and it felt like I had a puncture, but then a few corners later the wheel flew off my car," Alonso said after the race. "Today, we missed an opportunity to finish on the podium."
The incident came a week after 18-year-old Briton Henry Surtees died in a Formula two race at Brands Hatch after being struck by a loose wheel bouncing across the track.
Adrian Campos, boss of new Formula One team Campos Meta, was also quoted as saying the decision was a "disaster" for Valencia. "If things were already not going well for the Valencia Grand Prix this was just what they were missing," he said.
Renault said it would appeal against the stewards' decision.
Renault was suspended from the next race after a wheel came off Alonso's car and bounced away to the side of the track during the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday.
"We believe that (while safety is the priority) it is also necessary to think of the fans," Valmor Sport vice-president Jorge Martinez Aspar told Spanish media yesterday. "As everyone knows, many of them have bought tickets to see Fernando Alonso race in Valencia. We don't think they should be the ones to pay for this decision.
"It would be a shame if he wasn't in the race and we are confident he could be there, although we recognise it will be difficult after all the other incidents that happened last weekend."
Race stewards ruled that Renault had released Alonso from a pit stop in Budapest knowing that the wheel was not properly secured and then failing to tell the driver.
FIA said that radio transmissions demonstrated that Alonso had contacted the team relaying concern that he had a "tire puncture."
"When I left the pits there was a lot of vibration and it felt like I had a puncture, but then a few corners later the wheel flew off my car," Alonso said after the race. "Today, we missed an opportunity to finish on the podium."
The incident came a week after 18-year-old Briton Henry Surtees died in a Formula two race at Brands Hatch after being struck by a loose wheel bouncing across the track.
Adrian Campos, boss of new Formula One team Campos Meta, was also quoted as saying the decision was a "disaster" for Valencia. "If things were already not going well for the Valencia Grand Prix this was just what they were missing," he said.
Renault said it would appeal against the stewards' decision.
- 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.
