12/09/2010
NEWS STORY
The Hispania team has been fined $20,000 (£13,000) following a pitlane incident in which one if its crew was injured.
The incident occurred during Sakon Yamamoto's pitstop, the Japanese driver leaving the pits while a technician was still working on his car. The crew member was knocked into the air after being hit by the car and left injured on the ground.
An ambulance was subsequently requested and this raced down the pitlane and took the crew member to the medical centre.
Shortly after the incident the team issued a statement which read: "A member of the Hispania Racing (team), had an incident during Sakon Yamamoto's pit-stop. He has remained conscious all the time and been taken immediately to the Medical Centre. The situation is under control and we are waiting for more information from the Medical Centre."
However, on investigating the incident, race stewards decided that the incident occurred because Yamamoto had been released unsafely, a breach of Article 23.1 (j) of the 2010 FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations, and fined the Spanish outfit.
'I was very worried about the incident," said Yamamoto later. "I asked if he was OK and I was told that he was not badly injured."