The Indy Racing League has promised there will be no repeat of the problems that left Simona de Silvestro trapped in a burning car during Saturday's night IndyCar race at Texas Motor Speedway.
De Silvestro's car was engulfed in flames after she crashed heavily, and just under 40 seconds elapsed between it coming to rest on fire and the safety crew extricating her from the cockpit. They were initially unable to extinguish the fire due to an equipment malfunction.
The Swiss rookie's HVM team boss Keith Wiggins said afterward that "the safety crew should be ashamed," while Imran Safiulla of the squad's main sponsor, Stargate Worlds, described the situation as a "circus." In a statement issued on Monday afternoon, the IRL said the delay was due to a hose problem that would be investigated and resolved for the future.
"First and foremost, we make the safety of our competitors a priority when on the track. The primary hose on the series' safety truck malfunctioned, so the safety team had to go to the backup of the bottles. All equipment is checked prior to going on track before every race. We are examining why the hose malfunctioned to ensure this equipment failure will not happen again.
"Our safety team consists of approximately 24 highly trained safety personnel with a minimum of 14 attending each event – two trauma physicians, three paramedics and nine firefighters/EMTs. Team members have an average of 20 years of experience in their respective areas. The safety team is recognized for its high standards and high performance and this problem will be addressed."
Meanwhile, the league confirmed that de Silvestro, who suffered a minor burn on her right hand in the fiery accident on lap 78 of Saturday night's race, has been cleared to resume racing activities without restrictions.