Prosecutor general calls for end to Senna case.

The prosecutor general dealing with the manslaughter trial over the death of Formula One legend Ayrton Senna has asked that proceedings against Patrick Head and Adrian Newey be halted - some eleven years after the three-time F1 World Champion was killed in an accident at Imola.

In only his third race for Williams, Senna was leading the 1994 San Marino GP when his car went straight on at the high-speed Tamburello corner and speared into the barriers, with the Brazilian succumbing to massive injuries the day after Simtek driver Roland Ratzenberger had also lost his life and days after Rubens Barrichello had miraculously escaped injury on what is described by many as the darkest weekend in F1 history.

Charges of manslaughter were filed against both Head and Newey - then technical director and chief designer respectively at the Williams team - in relation to Senna's death, although both were aquitted of the charges following a trial in 1997, a decision which then upheld by an appeals court two years later.

However, that decision was overturned in 2003 when Italy's highest appeal court ruled that the case should be re-heard due to what were described as 'material errors' - but according to the Italian news agency ansa.it a state prosecutor has asked that proceedings be halted as too much time has now passed for charges to be brought against either Head or Newey.

The Williams team meanwhile has always maintained that it was not responsible for Senna's death.