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Thursday, September 27, 2012

Senna's Singapore burns not caused by KERS

LONDON (Reuters) - Minor burns suffered by Brazilian Bruno Senna at last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix were caused by loose wiring and not his car's KERS kinetic energy recovery system, his Williams Formula One team said on Thursday.

Williams reported after Sunday's race that Senna, who retired on the final lap after his car lost power, had some burn marks on his back and they were investigating the cause.

Williams Formula One driver Bruno Senna of Brazil arrives in the paddock ahead of the weekend's Belgian F1 Grand Prix in Spa Francorchamps August 30, 2012. REUTERS/Sebastien Pirlet

Media reports suggested there might have been a problem with the battery unit of the KERS system, which converts mechanical energy into electrical energy, with Senna reportedly told over the radio not to touch the car and ground at the same time in case of electric shock.

A Williams spokeswoman said the team had found that Senna's scorch marks were caused by a wiring loom seal coming loose in the driver's seat which then allowed heat from the back of the car to escape.

She said Senna, who declared himself in fine shape when he reported to the factory on Thursday, had not mentioned any problem during the two-hour race and had complained only of a little discomfort afterwards.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Peter Rutherford)

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