Marussia shocked and angry by Bianchi reports

LONDON (Reuters) – Marussia on Wednesday expressed anger and outrage at media reports that French driver Jules Bianchi ignored yellow warning flags and was ordered to go faster by the Formula One team before his crash and serious head injuries in Japan. The British-based team issued a statement rejecting what it called “totally false” claims about the events at Suzuka 10 days ago. “The Marussia F1 team is shocked and angered by these allegations,” it said. “At a time when its driver is seriously ill in hospital, and the team has made clear its highest priority is to care for Jules and his family, it is distressed to have to respond to deeply distressing rumours and inaccuracies.” Marussia said Bianchi slowed down when yellow caution flags, which signal drivers to prepare to stop, were waved by marshals after an earlier crash at the same location involving Adrian Sutil’s Sauber. The team said FIA safety delegate and race director Charlie Whiting confirmed from telemetry data provided by the team at a subsequent press conference in Russia that this was indeed the case. It added that “an audio copy of the full radio transmission between Jules and the team, together with a written transcript of it, has been provided to the FIA. It is clear from the transmission and the transcript that at no time in the period leading up to Jules’ accident did the team urge Jules to drive faster or make any comments suggesting that he should do so.” Bianchi, a promising driver with close ties to Ferrari, remains in critical but stable condition in hospital in Japan after his car aquaplaned off the track and hit a recovery tractor that was removing Sutil’s car. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by John O’Brien)