Читать книгу Judicial investigation. The death of Senna - Dmitry Nazarov - Страница 6

Difficulties that arose in the process of collecting evidence, studying reports, as well as numerous rechecks of the examination, delay the decision-making process. Only by the summer of 1996, Passarini completely forms his own report on eight hundred pages and submits it to the court of the city of Imola. And at the end of November, two and a half years after the death of Senna, the Italian prosecutor receives permission to charge six people with manslaughter.

The leaders and owner of the team Frank Williams, technical director, and at the same time co-owner Patrick Head, chief engineer Williams, head engineer Williams Adrian Newey, head of the Sanges company, race organizer and circuit manager Frederico Bendinelli, director of the track Giorgio Poggi, must appear before the court, as well as FIA Race Director Roland Bruinserade.

Manslaughter in Italy carries a penalty of 6 months to 5 years in prison.

In relation to Williams, the charges are built around a poorly executed modification of the steering column.

In particular, Williams failed to adequately assess the forces that were involved in the operation of this modification.

The smaller diameter section was at a point subject to greater loads. The joint between the sections did not have a sufficient radius. The tube material in the smaller diameter section was inferior to the original. And the traces of the tool left on the part reduced its strength.

Poggi, Bendinelli and Bruinserade are accused of allowing the race to run on a circuit that does not have the required relegation zones. Violating safety rules.

Bendinelli is accused of not changing Tamburello’s turn, which everyone considered dangerous.

Giorgio Poggi and Rodand Bruinserade were accused of not making the necessary changes to the circuit’s security system after the death of Ratzenberger.

The track management states that both incidents are an accident. And that the high speeds of modern Formula 1 are to blame.

Williams denied the accusations against them from the very beginning. According to the team, the steering column broke at the moment of impact with the wall. And this was already a consequence of the accident, not its cause.