JULY 7, 1997

Williams engineers testify in Imola

FOR the last couple of weeks members of the Williams team have been testifying in Italy that Ayrton Senna's steering column did not fail before his accident at Imola in 1994. A string of inspection engineers and mechanics have given evidence that the modified steering column which was in Senna's car was properly checked before it was fitted and that the modification was made before the season began.

Williams's top composite expert Brian O'Rourke, who was involved in the design of military aircraft with the Northrop company before he joined Williams in 1982, said that the steering wheel broke as a result of the right front wheel hitting the wall.