• Australian Grand Prix

Kobayashi's wing failure due to contact

Sauber has ruled out the possibility that a front wing failure caused Kamui Kobayashi's three car pile-up at the start of the Australian Grand Prix.

Kobayashi emerged from the first two corners with his wing folded underneath his car, making it impossible for him to avoid the retaining wall and ricocheting into the paths of Nico Hulkenberg and Sebastien Buemi. After the team experienced two front wing failures in first practice, one due to Kobayashi hitting a cone at turn 11 and one unexplained, the team was quick to clarify the accident in the race was due to Kobayashi making contact with another car at the start of the race.

"Kamui's race didn't even last one lap," said Peter Sauber. "Following contact with another car his front wing broke, and he went off, unfortunately hitting other competitors."

Kobayashi confirmed the failure did not happen of its own accord.

"It looks as if I touched a kerb or another car in turn three," he said. "Everything was very close and I don't really remember anything major, but on the data it looks like there was something. I had no worries about the front wing, but a few corners later it went off and got stuck under the car. At first I had no idea what had happened. I had no control anymore."

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