21/08/2008
NEWS STORY
As Spain mourns the 153 men, women and children killed in yesterday's air crash at Madrid's Barajas airport, Fernando Alonso has talked of his sadness and hopes that a way might be found for Formula One to pay its respects as Valencia hosts his country's second race of the 2008 season.
"It will definitely change the weekend for me because it's a tragedy," the two-time World Champion told reporters today. "All the Spanish people are in shock and I am too. It's probably the saddest approach to a weekend I have had."
As a three-day period of mourning was officially declared, the Spaniard admitted that he hoped fellow drivers might be persuaded to hold a minute's silence before Sunday's race as a mark of respect.
"I will wear a black armband and I will talk with the other drivers tomorrow," he said. "Maybe we can do something before the start, maybe one minute's silence in the pit lane.
"Tomorrow we will start slowly to get into the weekend. Life continues but it's a different weekend compared to what it should be."