Monday November 22nd, 1999

Williams technical chief Patrick Head and former designer Adrian Newey were acquitted today from manslaughter, in the appeal trial over the the death of Ayrton Senna five and a half years ago, as the Appeals Court in Italy rejected the prosecution's demand for a one-year suspended sentence against the two.

This is the final verdict in a judicial process that began shortly after Senna's death at the San Marino Grand Prix of 1994 in Imola. Back then, Italian State prosecutor Maurizio Passarini charged the chiefs of Williams with manslaughter, arguing that Senna's fatal crash was caused by a failure of the steering column, one that he claimed was poorly designed and prepared by the Williams team.

In that hearing, all defendants, including Frank Williams himself, were found not guilty and acquitted due to "no proof of blame." However, the State Attorney appealed the decision and the hearing into the appeal - a shorter process than the original trial, in which the prosecution needs to prove that the lower court had made a wrongful judgement or that new evidence had come into hand - was heard a few days ago.

But the appellate judge ruled today that Newey and Head's acquittal remains intact.

No comment as of yet was made by the Williams team or Adrian Newey.