MARCH 4, 2002

Jordan's Gary Anderson slams stewards decision

Gary Anderson, has been rather vocal in criticizing the race stewards' decision not to stop the Australian GP after a first turn accident collected 8 cars.

JORDAN GRAND PRIX's director of engineering, Gary Anderson, has been rather vocal in criticizing the race stewards' decision not to stop the Australian GP after a first turn accident collected 8 cars. After Ralf Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello got together in turn one, putting themselves and six others out of the race, the stewards chose to send out a safety car rather than restart the race and allow some of the drivers to get in back-up cars.

"The decision not to stop the race was absurd. What good is that to the millions of people watching across the world. It's the stupidest thing I've ever seen in my life. We've all got spare cars and we could have had 18 or so cars running around when the reality is that by the end of the race there could have been nobody left!"

Jordan's Giancarlo Fisichella was one of the eight drivers involved in the crash, and would have restarted the race in the team's T-car if the race had been red-flagged, but, instead, was forced to retire after the first turn incident.