Alboreto Innocent?

Over the years I have disagreed with DSJ’s comments on a number of occasions — nearly as often, in fact, as I have agreed with them— but I now feel I must take issue with him on a matter of fact.

It concerns Alboreto’s alleged rule infringement before the start of the Austrian Grand Prix, when he entered the pits to have his steering wheel adjusted as everyone else formed up on the grid for the second re-start.

The view from the television camera high above the track clearly showed the Ferrari suddenly rush forward to close up on the car in front, but then, despite his obvious impatience, Alboreto contained himself until the slip-road to the pits.

Once he was off the track he accelerated hard down the pit-lane, as you might expect, and at this point he certainly passed other cars, but they were on the track while he was not. I wonder whether the wording of DSJ’s report implies that he did not see the incident clearly himself.

RJ DAWSON

Weymouth, Dorset