11/06/2006
NEWS STORY
The Durango team has been excluded from this weekend's event at Silverstone.
The Stewards received a report from the GP2 Technical Representative which stated that Car no 22 had stopped on lap 16 of the race due to a rear wing failure. On inspection of the broken parts it was his opinion that the lower element of the rear wing had been previously repaired.
The Stewards after hearing the explanation of the Team manager referred him to Article 6.1 of the 2006 GP2 Series technical Regulations which specifies which components may be repaired but which also states clearly that structural components must be replaced by new ones or submitted to the original supplier for repair.
The Team Manager accepted that:
1. The rear wing elements which had broken were structural
2. They had been previously repaired by someone other than the original supplier
3. The wing elements which had broken had failed t the point of repair
4. The wings of both Team cars, 22 and 23, had been repaired.
The Stewards find that this is a clear breach of 2006 GP2 Series Technical Regulations and is regarded by them as being a serious issue which affects the safety not only of the driver in each car but potentially of other competitors.
The Stewards consider that by virtue of the repairs carried out, the construction of each vehicle must be regarded as unsafe such that the Stewards, by virtue of International Sporting Code Article 127, order that cars 22 and 23 be excluded from the event.
The Stewards direct that the GP2 Technical Passport for each car be surrendered immediately to the GP2 Series Technical Representative.
The Stewards further direct that Passports be neither issued nor returned in respect of these vehicles until such time as a Certificate of Conformity of all structural components on each vehicle has been issued by Dallara.