Volker angered by handling of additive accusations
EFRA testing for tyre additive got off to a controversial start last night in Ettlingen when tyres from two drivers failed the test. Drivers competing in the first four groups of heats had to present their tyres to the impound last night due to their early start time and during testing two failures where detected.
On making the discovery Frank Noens called a meeting of all the Team Managers where he informed them that two unnamed drivers had presented tyres that failed the test. Noens, who is determined to tackle the issue with a heavy hand, put the decision on the action to be taken to the team managers who unanimously voted to exclude the drivers from the event. Following the vote the team managers for Germany and Russia were asked to remain. While no names where given publicly rumours of the German driver spread rapidly through the pit area with world class touring car driver Ronald Volker only becoming aware of his exclusion from his pitman Daniele Ielasi who inturn only heard of the problem from another competitor.
On further inspection of the two suspected treated tyres it was discovered the Russian driver had used a marker pen to write the diameter on his tyres, the chemicals of which resulted in the detection of a banned substance. In Volker’s case a second & third test resulted in the tyres getting the all clear with the initial failure blamed on a contaminated bag, each driver having been issued with the impound bags by the race organisers. After the retests the pending exclusion of both drivers was dropped and they will continue to compete in the event.
One of the sport’s most genuine and fair drivers, Volker was shocked to hear his tyres had failed and extremely annoyed that he had received no official correspondence regarding the issue only learning of the matter from fellow racers. Last night the German made his anger very clear on Facebook when he was critical of EFRA. The post sparked a raft of reactions with Vokler adding in a later post he wanted an apology from EFRA which on receiving he would delete the rapidly growing post. On arrival at the track this morning Volker was asked by EFRA Secretary Willy Wuyts to remove the post, which he did, but the Team Shepherd driver said he is still waiting on an official apology.