MAY 1, 1995

Montermini's onboard camera

Andrea Montermini amazed Italian doctors with his powers of recovery last week when he suffered an appendicitis on the Tuesday before Imola. He was taken to St. Agostini's hospital in Modena where famous Italian surgeon Dr. Claudio Costa - best-known for his Costa Equipe emergency service in world motorcycle racing - decided to operate using microsurgery techniques. The surgeons made just three small holes in Andrea's abdomen, none of which required stitches. Montermini had 48 hours to recover, but any pain he was suffering quickly disappeared when he arrived at Imola to find several drivers sniffing around at Pacific. The Italian missed the free practice sessions on Thursday but was examined that evening by F1 doctor Professor Sid Watkins and declared fit to drive on Friday. A relieved Montermini explained that the operation had been carried out using fibre optic cable to see where cuts needed to be made. "I suppose it is the ultimate onboard camera," he said.