Williams shock as officials again face charges over Senna death

FORMULA ONE team Williams said last night it was surprised by the Italian Supreme Court’s decision that will see technical director Patrick Head and former chief designer Adrian Newey again face charges over the death of Ayrton Senna.

Head and Newey were acquitted of manslaughter charges in 1997, upheld by an appeals court two years later, over the death of Brazil's three-time world champion Senna at the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola almost nine years ago.

But Italy's highest appeals court has annulled the appeal verdict due to 'material errors' and ordered the appeal be held again, likely to be within the next 12 months.

The decision could put the future of the country's two grands prix under threat with teams unlikely to race in Italy if they are going to risk facing criminal charges.

"WilliamsF1 today confirms that it has received notice that the Italian Supreme Court has referred the investigation into Ayrton Senna's accident at Imola on May 1, 1994, back to the Court of Appeal in Bologna," the Oxfordshire-based team said in a statement.

"WilliamsF1 has assisted in the detailed investigation of this matter over the last nine years and has been cleared of any culpability on two separate occasions.

"Accordingly, WilliamsF1 is surprised that the matter should not be considered closed after such an extended period and an extensive examination of all the facts.

"WilliamsF1 however respects the legal process in Italy, and will continue to fully assist the authorities as they require."

Leading Formula One figures said at the time of the original trial that motor racing was a dangerous sport which should be exempt from any liability over serious injury or deaths and warned that if there was a conviction teams would not race in Italy.

F1 sources confirmed to the Press Association yesterday that if the new appeal goes ahead and the original trial ruling is overturned then the future of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza and the race at Imola would be in doubt.

Any appeal could also be complicated by the fact that the Williams FW16, in which Senna died after spearing into a concrete wall at Tamburello Corner at 130mph, was destroyed after being officially returned to the team by the Italian authorities.

The prosecution at the appeal in 1999 called for Head and Newey to be given a one-year suspended sentence for being responsible for Senna's death as they were the two most senior technical officials in the team. Head and Newey both denied the charge.

The prosecuting magistrate had argued that a poor weld on Senna's steering column had snapped causing him to lose control.

Lawyer Roberto Causo, who has been acting for Williams, was quoted in Italy today as saying he was confident the original acquittal verdict would be upheld.

"This has an importance in terms of the formalities but in substance it changes nothing for us," he said.

"We are calm we won in the two other (trials) and I do not see why we should fear losing in the third."

The race at Imola is already considered at risk because of European Union plans to impose a tobacco advertising ban in 2006, a year earlier than the date agreed with FIA, motorsport's world governing body.

Austria was yesterday told by F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone that this year's race would be its last because of the legislation while Belgium has also been booted off the calendar because of a tobacco row.

The two races will be replaced next year by Bahrain and China.