FIA warns Spain over racism, Hamilton saddened

Feb 4, 2008, 17:41 GMT

Paris - Spain could lose Formula One races as a sanction by the ruling motorsport body FIA if Spanish fans racially abuse British driver Lewis Hamilton again.

A spokesman said on Monday that FIA was 'surprised and disappointed' by the reported weekend incidents at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona in which fans verbally abused Hamilton.

'This is a clear breach of FIA principles and any repetition will result in serious sanctions,' he said.

FIA rules provide for countries being stripped of races as sanctions. Two races are scheduled for the 2008 season in Spain, the Spanish Grand Prix on the Barcelona course and the European GP on a new street circuit in Valencia. Teams also come to Spain for tests on another Valencia track and in Jerez de la Frontera.

Hamilton commented for the first time as well, saying he was saddened by the incidents. His McLaren team said it will continue testing in Spain and the Spanish motorsport federation promised that no further incidents will occur.

British sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe said he will write to FIA and the Spanish sports minister as well, saying that British sportsmen s have been abused in Spain on previous occasions.

'Racism should not be tolerated and this is not the first time British sportsmen have been racially abused in Spain,' he said.

Spanish news reports on Sunday said that fans from the stands jeered and taunted the McLaren driver Hamilton at Saturday tests in Barcelona. Banners had to be removed, some fans were thrown out and a section close to the McLaren compound left empty.

Hamilton is unpopular in Spain because of his rivalry with Spanish hero and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso. Both men were at McLaren last year. Alonso claimed that team chief Ron Dennis favoured Hamilton and has now returned to the Renault team.

'The truth is I feel somewhat sad. I love this country, especially the city of Barcelona. The people in Spain have always been very warm,' said Hamilton.

'The only thing that I have done is to try to give the best of myself and try to win the championship. At no point have I tried to deliberately prejudice Fernando but the fight has been very tough and my image in Spain has been severely damaged.'

McLaren were conciliatory despite the incidents, saying that the next tests February 12-14 will go ahead as planned in Jerez.

The Spanish motorsport federation RFEA said it would make sure that the scenes did not occur again. It condemned the incidents carried out by 'a tiny group' and praised track organizers for removing offensive banners and throwing out offenders.

'The Federation wants to show its most definite rejection of these incomprehensible acts, and show its support and solidarity to the McLaren team and especially to driver Lewis Hamilton,' the RFEA said in a statement.

'This kind of hooligans who mistake sports rivalry with violence must know that the Federation will have zero tolerance with them.'

'The Federation has asked circuits to increase preventive measures as far as possible in this sense, to prevent incidents of this kind from taking place in the future,' the RFEA said.