Conduct warnings for Cairoli and Searle
By TMX Archives on 23rd Jul 08
DEFENDING MX2 champion Toni Cairoli (above left) and British challenger Tommy Searle (above) were summoned before FIM MX Race Director, Dave Nicoll, last Friday in South Africa and given a clear warning as to their future on-track conduct. Choosing his words carefully to avoid exacerbating the tension which has built during the season, but at the same time firmly indicating the FIM's future hard line approach Dave said immediately after emerging from the Jury Room: We had a meeting with the two riders and their team managers. We did not discuss anything which had happened up to now, I just said the problems had been too well-publicised and it's got to stop.
I explained that the FIM is now involved, the legal department is involved, every incident from now on will be analysed very carefully, and there will be penalties if appropriate! The worst penalty of all will be a suspension of licence for 30-days which would mean the end of the championship hopes for either rider. They have to understand that this is for real, and they should now get on with a fair championship.
Neither rider commented on the short meeting, but earlier in the day Searle's mechanic Gareth Edmunds had apologised to Cairoli for the Clean him out' message he had written on the pitboard during the second moto in Sweden. This act of reconciliation was carried out without any involvement of the world governing body