Allison back to work for Ferrari after wife's death

A grieving James Allison will reportedly contribute to Ferrari's bid to win the Chinese grand prix this weekend. Following the sudden death of the Briton's wife Rebecca after the season opener in Australia, Allison was not in Bahrain.

Ferrari declared that it is "united with him and his family during this period of profound sorrow", amid reports 48-year-old Allison was taking a break with his children in Britain. But Marco Mensurati, the F1 correspondent for the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, reports that Allison is in fact already back at work.

"James immediately wanted to go back to work at the factory," he said, "putting his mind to the many technical problems with this albeit fast and very driveable Ferrari. In Shanghai," Mensurati added, "Allison will not attend but he will be in constant contact with Jock Clear, with whom Allison is apparently already close." (GMM)