OCTOBER 2, 1995
The dope on F1 dope
THE FIA conducts random drug tests in F1 and last Friday, Rubens Barrichello and Max Papis are believed to have tested positive to substances which appear on the International Olympic Committee's list of banned drugs.
We understand that both drivers had been taking medication for colds and that the drug in question is ephedrine from a nasal decongestant.
According to F1 doctor Sid Watkins, ephedrine has no effect at all on a driver's ability to perform and sources at the FIA suggest that using the IOC list is probably not the best way to drug-test in F1.