The official Italian report on the death of Ayrton Senna is expected any day now, and it could lead to criminal charges against the Williams Formula One team, according to the team's director Frank Williams. "They tend to think the column broke, but we don't know," Williams said, referring to the steering column. "That is what they have talked about a great deal. We haven't seen the car for a proper inspection yet so we are not able to defend ourselves." "I wait with some trepidation because if they say that the column broke then it reflects badly on us," he added. "It could be the start of a long procedure, which would not be a pleasant experience." If the Italian magistrate conducting the inquiry decides that failure of the steering column was the cause of Senna's 130 mph (210 kph) crash in the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola on May 1, then he will have to decide whether a judge should press charges - perhaps for manslaughter - against the Williams team. An autopsy revealed that the Brazilian, a three-time world champion, was killed when a piece of the car's suspension pierced his helmet. His car will be returned to Williams, which will order an independent examination. "We would be more comfortable with a report we'd had an input into," Williams said on Thursday. Williams said the team would continue to compete in Italy regardless of the criminal charges. But Formula One might have to reconsider its two races scheduled for Italy this year, including the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, he added. "The big difficulty is, can the teams race in Italy?" Williams said. "It could be us today, McLaren or Ferrari tomorrow. Death by accident in Italian laws has to have an explanation. Drivers never ever die at the circuit officially. It is a regrettable place to have a fatal accident." The deaths of Senna and Roland Ratzenberger, the Austrian who was killed in crash during practice a day earlier, were the first at a Grand Prix event in 12 years. The Williams team reportedly made modifications to the steering column after Senna, 34, had complained that he had been seated uncomfortably during the first two races last year. He appeared to have lost steering control while leading at Imola, only his third race with Williams. He made no apparent effort to complete his turn, and his foot was hard on the brake as the car skidded into the concrete wall. "That accident has affected a lot of people here and been on all our minds," Williams said from his factory in England. "Make no mistake of that. And, of course, he was public property, too." Despite the trauma of losing the fiercest talent in Formula One - and "easily the best driver to have driven for Williams," the chief said - Williams-Renault went onto retain the constructors' championship. Williams rated the defending champion, Michael SchuHL macher of Benetton-Renault, as the favorite this year, but he added that changes in the rules and the return of Senna's rival, Nigel Mansell, could disturb such predictions. Williams could have signed Mansell this year - he won the drivers' championship in 1992 with Williams - but the team decided to pair David Coulthard with Damon Hill, last year's runner-up to Schumacher. Left with little choice but to sign with McLaren-Mercedes, Mansell will begin the season as underdog. Williams declined to explain why he preferred Coulthard, 23, to Mansell, 41, who drove the last three races for Williams last year and won the Australian Grand Prix. He did, however, attempt to put some pressure back on Mansell. "My worst nightmare is Nigel destroying everybody all year, and then we'll look a right bunch of idiots," Williams said. "I think the cars this year will be close and I can see no reason why McLaren should not win the first race," he added. "Nigel is highly motivated to win and is still very quick."