Carey: Liberty not behind Ferrari fan gesture

Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey has said that the idea to let a young Ferrari fan meet Kimi Raikkonen at the Spanish GP was all the Scuderia's own doing.

TV cameras captured a tearful Thomas Danel as he watched Raikkonen crash out at the Circuit de Catalunya on the very first lap.

But he would then have a day to remember as he was invited to meet his hero in the paddock before going up to watch the podium celebrations.

However, Carey revealed that it was no publicity stunt from the new owners and the gesture was in fact indicative of an openess that did not exist in Bernie Ecclestone's reign.

“We got all this press about the little boy who got pulled down, and they did it on their own, having a sense a freedom that they wouldn’t have had a year ago,” Carey said.

“I didn’t tell them to find the little boy, there are people who did it on their own, thought it would be a special moment, and it was.”

The Spanish Grand Prix also had a special fan zone, which included the chance to ride in a Minardi two-seater F1 car, as Liberty Media continue to work on supporter engagement.

Carey added: "At Barcelona we launched no transforming events, but a number of things that almost everybody to a man said created a fresh sense of energy and excitement."