Enge 'Shocked' by Dope Test Failure

Tomas Enge, who a year ago became the Czech Republic's first Formula One driver, said he was shocked when he heard he had failed a drug test after a Formula 3000 race in August.

The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said in a statement on Thursday that the 26-year-old had tested positive for an unspecified banned substance at the Hungarian round of the championship.

Enge's Arden team principal Christian Horner also refused to identify the substance but he told reporters the driver denied any wrongdoing. FIA sources said Enge was believed to be the first driver to fail such a test in an international championship organised by the governing body.

Horner said Enge, who drove three times for the now defunct Prost Formula One team at the end of last season, had provided a urine sample after the F3000 race at the Hungaroring on August 17 after being randomly selected.

The team were notified this week about the result by the FIA, a year after Enge made his Formula One debut with Prost at the Italian Grand Prix.

"Two samples were provided, of which the first sample has proved to be positive. The second sample will be tested, for which we are awaiting the results," said Horner at Monza, where the F3000 title will be decided on Saturday.

"Tomas is insistent that he hasn't knowingly taken any illegal substance or drug and is completely shocked and surprised to have been tested positive."

Horner said the driver had the "complete support" of the team and there had been no consideration of him not competing in Saturday's final round of the championship.

First Failure

No Formula One driver has tested positive since random drug tests were introduced, although other branches of motorsport have been affected.

Japan's Noriyuki Haga failed a test for the stimulant ephedrine in the 2000 World Superbike Championship while Australian Anthony Gobert produced the first positive test in Grand Prix motorcycling in 1997 after smoking marijuana.

Doping offences are taken extremely seriously in motorsport, particularly if recreational drugs are involved, because impaired judgement and dulled reactions can prove fatal in close-quarters racing. Thursday's announcement came only days before the final round of the F3000 season at Monza that could see Enge crowned as champion.

The FIA said the results would be provisional until a hearing of its World Motor Sport Council on October 1. Enge is currently second in the F3000 championship, a support series at most Formula One grands prix, after four wins this year.

The Czech replaced injured Brazilian Luciano Burti at Prost for the Italian, U.S. and Japanese Grands Prix last year but returned to Formula 3000 at the start of the season after the French team folded. After leading for much of the season, he is now a point adrift of France's Sebastien Bourdais who has 55, with Italy's Giorgio Pantano on 48.

An FIA spokesman said the dope test was carried out at an International Olympic Committee (IOC)-approved laboratory in Oslo.