F1 in Paris tribute after Todt ‘road safety’ slip
SAO PAULO: Formula One will honour the victims of the Paris attacks yesterday with drivers at the Brazilian Grand Prix wearing black armbands and taking part in a pre-planned minute’s silence for road traffic victims.
The action, announced by the sport ’ s ruling body, the International Motoring Federation (FIA) in a statement late Saturday, came after its president Frenchman Jean Todt had previously made extraordinary comments suggesting a dismissive attitude towards the terror attacks.
Speaking to French television station Canal+, Todt said: “Do you realise the number of people killed in road accidents is by far bigger than the number of people who died in Paris?”
He later told reporters that the FIA had “already planned to do something tomorrow at the occasion of the day of celebrations for road victims.
“Every day on our streets, 3,500 people die. Every day there are 30 times more people who die than in the Paris assassinations. We had decided (on) a minute of silence and of course we can’t ignore what happened in Paris.
“We will thus have a moment of attention for what happened in Paris.”
Todt’scommentsledtoaprolonged discussion with Formula One’s commercial ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone about how best to show respect for the Paris victims.
Todt had insisted on holding a minute’s silence to mark the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, an event planned to precede a conference on road deaths in Brasilia later this week.
After their talks, the FIA issued a statement that said: “Because of the horrific terrorist attacks of 13 November in Paris, the ceremony to pay tribute to the casualties of road traffic accidents scheduled for the Brazilian Grand Prix, within the framework of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, has been modified. — AFP
Do you realise the number of people killed in road accidents is by far bigger than the number of people who died in Paris?
Jean Todt, International Motoring Federation (FIA) president