Dumbreck's wrecking again

Racing for the first time since his death-defying shunt at Le Mans, the Scot collided with G-Force racer Ralph Firman on the first lap of the race at Suzuka.

The incident, which both drivers blamed on cement dust, resulted in their retirement from the race with damaged cars.

Dumbreck's hopes of a first win in FNippon were raised when he topped a test at the circuit a week before the race.

He was challenging for the lead into the first corner at Suzuka when the accident occured.

Dumbreck said, 'Through the first corner and into the esses there was a cement dust trail because of oil spilled in an earlier race, and we hadn't realised how bad it was.

'I was going through the outside through there and Yuji Tachikawa went wide and ran over my front wheel, and then Ralph did the same.'

Firman added, 'We were warned on the radio that there could be a problem, but didn't know how bad it would be. It was nobody's fault, just one of those things.'

Twenty-three-year-old Firman was also looking good for a top result. He had risen from eighth on the grid to fifth by the first corner, but was forced out on the spot by rear suspension damage.

Dumbreck limped back to the pits but was forced to call it a day with front suspension damage. The 25-year-old lies fourth in the championship, while Firman dropped a place to sixth.