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Ayrton Senna Accident Trial to Reopen in Italy
By: RACER staff
Rome, Italy, January 28
Nearly nine years after Ayrton Senna's death in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, the Italian Supreme Court has canceled the original verdict of an Appeals Court and reopened the inquiry into the cause of the Formula 1 superstar's fatal crash at Imola.
In 1997, Italian state prosecutors accused Williams technical director Patrick Head and designer Adrian Newey with “culpable homicide,” claiming that steering column failure was to blame for Senna's accident. Team owner Frank Williams was also accused, but charges against him were dropped before the end of the year.
After a long and drawn-out court process, both Head and Newey were acquitted in November 1999. They had been under threat of a one-year suspended jail sentence. Track officials who were accused at the same time were also acquitted.
Williams had appealed against an initial court verdict that steering failure was to blame. The Appeal Court then ruled that a series of factors contributed to Senna's death, including the speed his Williams was traveling through the Tamburello corner, tire wear and unevenness of the track surface. A subsequent prosecution appeal was thrown out after just two days in court, as Judge Francesco Mario Agnoli ruled that it had not proved its contention that steering failure was the cause.
However, the Supreme Court accepted a petition from prosecutor Rinaldo Rosini on Monday, who claims that errors were made in the original process, and the case will be reopened once again. No dates have been set, but it is likely to be heard at the end of this year.
The ruling also reopens the debate into whether Formula 1 should race in Italy under the possibility of such legal threats should a fatal accident occur in the future. Any fatal accident in Italy requires investigation by the authorities and often leads to lengthy legal proceedings, resulting in the real risk of prosecution. There is currently no European Union legislation that exempts those involved in dangerous sports from such legal threats, despite lobbying for such an exemption by the FIA.
Meanwhile., the lawyer who has represented the Williams team in previous trials concerning Senna’s death, Roberto Causo, says he is unconcerned by the decision of the Italian Supreme Court to reopen the case. Speaking to Italian newspaper Gazetta dello Sport, Causo says he is confident that the previous decision of the appeal court to acquit Head and Newey will stand.
"This holds importance in terms of formalities but in reality it changes nothing," said Causo. "We are calm. We won the other two trials and I don't see why we should fear losing the third."
By: RACER staff
Rome, Italy, January 28
Nearly nine years after Ayrton Senna's death in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, the Italian Supreme Court has canceled the original verdict of an Appeals Court and reopened the inquiry into the cause of the Formula 1 superstar's fatal crash at Imola.
In 1997, Italian state prosecutors accused Williams technical director Patrick Head and designer Adrian Newey with “culpable homicide,” claiming that steering column failure was to blame for Senna's accident. Team owner Frank Williams was also accused, but charges against him were dropped before the end of the year.
After a long and drawn-out court process, both Head and Newey were acquitted in November 1999. They had been under threat of a one-year suspended jail sentence. Track officials who were accused at the same time were also acquitted.
Williams had appealed against an initial court verdict that steering failure was to blame. The Appeal Court then ruled that a series of factors contributed to Senna's death, including the speed his Williams was traveling through the Tamburello corner, tire wear and unevenness of the track surface. A subsequent prosecution appeal was thrown out after just two days in court, as Judge Francesco Mario Agnoli ruled that it had not proved its contention that steering failure was the cause.
However, the Supreme Court accepted a petition from prosecutor Rinaldo Rosini on Monday, who claims that errors were made in the original process, and the case will be reopened once again. No dates have been set, but it is likely to be heard at the end of this year.
The ruling also reopens the debate into whether Formula 1 should race in Italy under the possibility of such legal threats should a fatal accident occur in the future. Any fatal accident in Italy requires investigation by the authorities and often leads to lengthy legal proceedings, resulting in the real risk of prosecution. There is currently no European Union legislation that exempts those involved in dangerous sports from such legal threats, despite lobbying for such an exemption by the FIA.
Meanwhile., the lawyer who has represented the Williams team in previous trials concerning Senna’s death, Roberto Causo, says he is unconcerned by the decision of the Italian Supreme Court to reopen the case. Speaking to Italian newspaper Gazetta dello Sport, Causo says he is confident that the previous decision of the appeal court to acquit Head and Newey will stand.
"This holds importance in terms of formalities but in reality it changes nothing," said Causo. "We are calm. We won the other two trials and I don't see why we should fear losing the third."
