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 Tuesday, September 12
Frentzen says accident not his fault
 
 Reuters

LONDON -- Jordan driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen denied Tuesday he was to blame for the accident at the Italian Grand Prix which led to the death of a fire marshal.

Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello on Monday called for the German to be banned, claiming he was "totally responsible" for the pile-up on the first lap of Sunday's race at Monza which forced both drivers to retire.

Coulthard car returned
MONZA, Italy -- The last of the five cars involved in a fatal crash at the Italian Grand Prix was returned to its Formula One team by investigators on Tuesday.

Paolo Ghislimberti, a 33-year-old volunteer track official, was hit by flying debris in last weekend's race.

The impounded McClaren-Mercedes car driven by David Coulthard was returned, a day after the other four cars were released.

Monza prosecutor Salvatore Bellomo ordered an inspection of the cars and crash site as well as an autopsy. He also questioned drivers from the five teams involved in the crash: Jordan, Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes and Arrows.

Italian sports newspapers published photographs Tuesday showing the moments after the initial collision of the Jordan and Ferrari cars. An airborne tire appears to have hit Ghislimberti as he watched from the guardrail.
-- Associated Press

But Frentzen said the accident was a "racing incident, the sort that happens several times a year."

"I think everyone who knows me and my racing career knows that I am not the sort of driver to take unnecessary risks at the start of a race and I don't have the reputation of being involved in accidents," Frentzen said in a statement.

"I heard after the race that Barrichello was blaming me for the accident.

"In his situation I can understand his feelings, especially driving a Ferrari at Monza, but as he well knows the reasons for any accident are not as simple as he would like everyone to believe."

Max Mosley, president of the sport's ruling body FIA, also offered Frentzen support.

"Inevitably when you have a multiple pile-up, even on the roads, you will find one or more of the drivers will be very clear in their minds about who was to blame," Mosley said.

Frentzen said Barrichello had braked earlier than he had expected and he hit the Italian's back wheel, preventing the Ferrari from braking properly.

Frentzen said he then moved right and hit teammate Jarno Trulli, who was braking ahead of him, ripping off his own front wheel and Trulli's back wheel. Volunteer marshal Paolo Ghislimberti was killed by flying debris a few seconds later.

"The first lap is always the most risky part of any race and it is inevitable that circumstances sometimes come together which result in an accident," said Frentzen.

"When you have cars tightly bunched at over 300 kph all braking hard for a slow chicane accidents are sometimes inevitable."

 


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