26/09/2005
NEWS STORY
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McLaren boss Ron Dennis has hit out at slow backmarkers, accusing them of costing his driver, Kimi Raikkonen, the Drivers' Championship, and fearing that they could ultimately cost the Woking team the Constructors' Championship.
"If it costs us the constructors' championship, it is not particularly nice," he said, following yesterday' race, according to the BBC. "It's virtually impossible to go out in a session and drive round uninterrupted by a gaggle of slow cars. The drivers who just don't get out of the way, they influence the outcome of world championships."
Of course, there are some, a small minority no doubt, that might cynically point out the engine failures, halfshaft failures, hydraulics failures and even over-enthusiasm on Kimi's part, might have played a small part in the Finn's title challenge.
"You don't ask them to detract from their race but there is a pattern," said Dennis. "I don't want to name names, of drivers who just don't behave like Grand Prix drivers, respecting people who are better drivers and in better cars.
"It's not fair," he added, "and there's lots of time when these backmarkers have not only caused incidents, there are many times when they have influenced the outcome of races because it is very difficult to get past.
"There are those people who say incidents, accidents, interfering with the leader and everything is good for Formula One. But if you are on the receiving end it is damned frustrating."