Ferrari Confirmed For 2012 FIA GT1 World Championship

Rain Thwarts Final NHRA Qualifying At Pomona

2013 Lexus RX Leaked Ahead Of Geneva Motor Show Debut
Kia Teases New 2013 KH Flagship Sedan

2013 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet Spy Shots

Bentley Continental GT V8 Flies Over Munich: Video
2014 Maserati Quattroporte Test-Mule Spy Shots

2012 BMW M6 Preview

New Bentley Designer, David Hilton's Past: Motorcity Europe

Spanish F1 venue hits back at swine flu panic

GMM

GMM

Author

LATEST ARTICLE
More KERS boost in 2010 for cost-capped teams
Apr.30 (GMM) Another technical advantage to be enjoyed by cost-capped formula one teams next year... Read More

N/ALEADERBOARD RANK
1314ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
0COMMENTS POSTED

3,118 views April 30, 2009

Apr.30 (GMM) A spokesman for the Spanish grand prix venue in Barcelona has hit back at claims that thousands of people should not be gathering next weekend amid the risk of a global illness pandemic.

International fear about deadly swine flu stepped into a high gear this week, leading German health minister Ulla Schmidt to remark that "there cannot be a major gathering of 70,000 people if thousands of them could become infected".

The comments were met with anger by organisers of next weekend's formula one race at the Circuit de Catalunya, whose local region Catalonia has been one of the worst hit in Europe in terms of suspected flu infections.

"In the position of a minister you should not be causing alarm to the population. It's out of place," the spokesman, asked about Schmidt's comments, is quoted as saying by the Spanish sports daily Marca.

All but one of the suspected 177 deaths so far have occurred in Mexico, causing organisers of the open-wheeler series A1GP to cancel next month's race in the country.