APRIL 15, 2002

Trouble on the horizon?

WE hear that there has been an official complaint from a rival team to the FIA about the behavior of the Arrows team at the Australian Grand Prix. The team had both of its cars black-flagged from the event for breaking the rules and the complaint is believed to be based on the decision to send Enrique Bernoldi out in the spare car.

The argument, we hear, is that the FIAÊInternational Sporting Code states that teams should "be acquainted with the statutes and regulations of the FIA, this Code and the national regulations" and that they should "undertake to submit themselves without reserve to the above". The penalty for breaking this rule is that the team in question "will have the licence which has been issued to them withdrawn, and any manufacturer shall be excluded from the FIA Championships on a temporary or permanent basis".

It will interesting to see how the federation will react to this accusation.