Static claim on Webber's car dismissed
Posted
A claim by Formula One team Red Bull that static electricity from an underground train forced Mark Webber out of last month's Singapore Grand Prix has proven to be unfounded.
The gearbox on Webber's car tried to select two gears at once when he was at turn 13 on the street circuit, team official Christian Horner was quoted as saying by www.autosport.com.
He said there was "a momentary electrical surge" at the time.
"A tram line runs beneath the track at that corner and it seems as if static from a passing tram at the very moment Mark was in the corner passed through the ground," Horner said.
But Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) system said there was no track under turn 13.
"There is no MRT track beneath turn 13. The nearest MRT tunnel is about 200 metres away, with a depth of about 10 metres," a spokesperson said.
"In addition, train wheels and running rails are made of metal and therefore do not generate static electricity charges during train operations."
The Australian driver was on course for a podium finish when his car's gearbox broke during Formula One's first ever night race.
- AFP
