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Spare cars should return - Domenicali

ESPNF1 Staff
May 18, 2010 « Hamilton confident of catching Red Bull | »
Fernando Alonso had to sit out of qualifying after cracking his Ferrari chassis © Sutton Images
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Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali is pushing for the ban on spare cars to be overturned.

Fernando Alonso had to sit out of qualifying at last weekend's Monaco Grand Prix because his chassis was written off in a practice crash. The availability of complete spare cars was banned a few years ago as a cost-saving measure. Now, teams may transport spare monocoques to races and build up a new car in the event that one is damaged.

But, even if there had been enough time to do so for Alonso, the regulations state that if a driver elects to use a new survival cell after a crash in qualifying or practice he must start the race from the pit lane. Domenicali said he agrees with cutting costs, but argues that in the case of banning spare cars, "you lose value in other ways".

"You cannot leave the spectators without the possibility of enjoying one of the biggest stars in qualifying," he told Spain's Diario AS newspaper. "We will discuss it with the other teams to see if we can change it [the rule]."

He added: "Nothing has been decided, but I hope it happens soon."

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