Williams denies destruction of Senna relics.

The BMW.WilliamsF1 team has discounted claims that it has destroyed the car in which Ayrton Senna died at Imola in 1994.

The team reacted strongly to reports in British weekly magazine Autosport which claimed that the Rothmans-liveried FW16 had been dismantled following its return by Italian police following the lengthy investigation into Senna's death. The report also claimed that Senna's helmet, holed in the accident, had been returned to makers Bell and also destroyed.

The BMW.WilliamsF1 team has discounted claims that it has destroyed the car in which Ayrton Senna died at Imola in 1994.

The team reacted strongly to reports in British weekly magazine Autosport which claimed that the Rothmans-liveried FW16 had been dismantled following its return by Italian police following the lengthy investigation into Senna's death. The report also claimed that Senna's helmet, holed in the accident, had been returned to makers Bell and also destroyed.

A WilliamsF1 spokesman, attempting to allay the speculation, told sponsor Reuters that "at the moment, the car has not been destroyed, but its future will remain a private matter".

The car had been in police custody since fateful day in May 1994, when Senna - in only his fourth race for Williams - hit the wall at Tamburello, completing a black weekend for Formula One. It was released last month and returned to the Williams factory at Grove.

Read More