12/05/2008
NEWS STORY
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Following the incident during Sunday's GP2 race, when the safety car had to be deployed as marshals attempted to catch a wild dog, organizers at the Istanbul Speed Park are in hot water with the FIA.
On the eleventh lap of the race, Bruno Senna returned to the pits, the front of his car badly damaged. Getting out of the car, the Brazilian, clearly angry, shouted something about hitting a dog.
Moments later, the TV cameras revealed a dog running along the track, however, this was a second animal, since the one Senna had hit had been killed outright.
Watching the replay, Senna can consider himself lucky, the dog did a lot of damage to the car, but it could have been much worse.
As the second dog, one of many that lives in the area, trotted off into the distance, race marshals appeared unwilling to stop it
Consequently, Charlie Whiting issued the following ahead of yesterday's Grand Prix:
"Following the breach of Article 30.16 of the 2008 GP2 Sporting Regulations, which involved dogs on the track during the GP2 Race 2 today, I have formally reminded the Clerk of the Course and the organiser of their responsibilities, and how seriously the FIA view this incident. As a result I have given instructions that all external gates to the circuit must be checked and secured, that prior to the F1 race this afternoon the appropriate authorities will check all parts of the circuit to remove any other animals. Finally all internal access points to the track will be closed and monitored during the F1 race.
Finally, given the seriousness of the matter a formal report will be submitted to the FIA."
Organizers of the Turkish GP have found themselves in hot water once before, at the 2006 event, when Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, who presented the race winner's trophy, was introduced as 'President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus'. Angry that its political neutrality had been compromised, the FIA initially imposed a fine of $5m jointly on both TOSFED and the Organisers of the Turkish Grand Prix (MSO).
As it happened, no dogs appeared during the Grand Prix, though this probably has more to do with the fact that they didn't have the correct passes than the organizers stepping up 'dog security'.