Updated on
Summary Formula One team Ferrari says it will show its support for Italian navy personnel held in India.
It will do so by racing with military symbols on its cars livery at the Indian Grand Prix this weekend.Two navy personnel were imprisoned in India in March, and later bailed, following the fatal shooting of two fishermen mistaken for pirates trying to attack an oil tanker the Italians were protecting.The team said on its website ferrari.com: Scuderia Ferrari will carry the flag of the Italian Navy on the cars driven by Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa in this weekends Indian Grand Prix.In doing so, Ferrari pays tribute to one of the outstanding entities of our country, also in the hope that the Indian and Italian authorities will soon find a solution to the situation currently involving two sailors from the Italian Navy.Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone shot the fishermen off Indias southwestern coast on February 15.Armed guards are increasingly deployed on cargo ships and tankers in the Indian Ocean to tackle threats from Somali pirates, who often hold ships and crews hostage for months demanding multi-million-dollar ransoms.The marines said the fishermens boat behaved suspiciously and ignored warning shots while approaching the Italian oil tanker. They denied murder and were later released on bail but are still awaiting the outcome of their fate.
