Syed Akbaruddin, an official spokesman in India’s ministry of external
affairs, was critical of Ferrari’s decision, saying the use of “sporting
events to promote causes which are not of a sporting nature is not in
keeping with the spirit of sports”.
As Indian media began to pick up on the story last night, a team spokesperson
for Ferrari tried to play down the furore. “We just wanted to pay tribute to
all the Italian navy which is one of the excellences of Italy,” he said,
adding: “It’s just a sign of hope that a solution can be found about the
case that involves two Italian sailors.
“Something which has to be clear is we don’t want to say anything in one sense
or another. We have utmost respect for the Indian authorities.”
On the track, Lewis
Hamilton and Jenson
Button were sixth and seventh fastest respectively in practice
yesterday, 0.9 sec adrift of Red Bull’s championship leader Sebastian
Vettel, who topped both the morning and afternoon sessions.
McLaren’s preparations have been overshadowed by issues with their
accommodation. While the Hilton Noida is new, it is situated between a river
and an open sewer, causing both a foul stench and numerous mosquitoes to
infiltrate the building. The situation is made more worrying by an outbreak
of the mosquito-borne Dengue fever in India’s capital.
A McLaren spokesperson played down the issue. “The Hilton Noida is an
excellent hotel, with luxurious modern facilities and extremely comfortable
rooms,” he said. “As regards mosquitoes, they’re a hazard of life all over
India that Indians learn to live with — just as Scottish Highlanders cope
uncomplainingly with midges, for example.”