F1 racing pilot loses driving licence

Formula One driver Giancarlo Fisichella has had his driving licence confiscated for speeding just six days after appealing to Italian teenagers not to engage in street racing.

Fisichella was stopped by police early on Sunday morning in Rome after driving at 148 kph in a 60 kph zone on the edge of the Italian capital, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.

"I was rushing back home because our babysitter had called myself and my wife to inform us that our son had a high fever," said Fisichella.

The Renault driver wrote a front page article in the daily Gazzetta dello Sport last week warning Italian youngsters against taking part in illegal street racing after a 16-year-old died following a high-speed crash in Rome.

"I apologize and I am ready to pay. I know that I made a mistake," said Fisichella, who won this year's season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

"My commitment to road safety remains strong," Reuters quoted Fisichella as saying.

V.Y.