SEPTEMBER 9, 2001
Burti on the mend - but missing Monza
LUCIANO BURTI's recovery from the injuries sustained in his high-speed accident in the Belgian Grand Prix continues to please the medical team attending to him, but a return to racing at next weekend's Italian Grand Prix has been written off.
A team spokesperson said: "Luciano is definitely in better shape, as the nasty bruise located in his skull is not spreading, but shrinking every day. He should be able to come back home soon and get some rest. We now know for sure that Luciano won't take part of the Italian GP."
Speculation that the 26-year-old Brazilian might be forced out of the three remaining races of the season has been denied however, following an interview with the FIA doctor attending to Burti, Gary Hartstein, on BBC 5 Live.
"We like people who have had severe concussion to be totally asymptomatic for a significant amount of time before any chance of a second concussion," Hartstein said during his interview on British radio.
"If my son - with what I know about head injury - were to have an impact like Luciano had I would probably want to see him asymptomatic for at least four to eight weeks before getting back in the car."
The team has been quick to deny that this is the actual position regarding Burti's place in the team but merely the personal opinion of his doctor. Meanwhile the scrum to get into Burti's car at Monza is likely to gain new momentum, with newly-signed test driver Tomas Enge having further made a case for himself following an impressive debut at Magny-Cours this week, with French youngster Jonathon Cochet, Frenchman Stephane Sarrazin and Ferrari tester Luca Badoer also in the frame.