US Grand Prix

[MVZ944T]

That was about as sorry a performance of professional (?) racing as I have ever seen. Just further proof that Bernie Ecklestone and his band of gestapo's are about the biggest bunch of arrogant twits (not the words I would like to use) that ever set foot in motorsports. As far as I am concerned, next year they can keep the whole circus in Europe, who needs them! The fans should all have just all walked out.

[Greg Phillips]

I have to agree that it was one of the silliest thing that I have seen. But it is true that when Michelin declared their tires unsafe, the teams were stuck with today's legal climate. Even in the less litiginous Europe, it was only recently that the courts finally finished working on the death of an F1 driver (Senna or Villaneuve?)
Michelin should have had a reasonable backup tire for Indy, but since this is the only banked track on the circuit and no practice/testing time was available and this is the first year with no tire changes and Indy has a new surface, the variables caught up with Michelin.
Bridgestone may have had an advantage since their subsidiary Firestone provides the tires for IRL and has done testing on the the new surface and banks of Indy.
You have to love Montero and the Jordan. He was on the podium and going to have his fun no matter what
Say what you want about NASCAR, but they would not have put on this type of show If they had to penalize Michelin and put everyone on Bridgestone, they would have had a race. Granted now thay have a spec tire, but in the past when they did have tire wars with Hoosier and others, they found away to make it work.

Greg

[Jad]

I agree. Michelin screwed up big time, but instead of making Ferrari unhappy, Bernie and Max decided to make the rest of the world unhappy by following the rules exactly. Ok, so Jordan and Minardi are also happy, but they can't be that proud of that 'victory'. I think F1 just killed the fan base they were starting to get in the US and drove a big crack into the crumbly F1 circus that already existed. I fully expect two or a new 'world championship' in 2008 now.

The CART race was good!

[David J Marguglio]

Yeah, I sat through the entire thing with my mouth agape. Even my wife was like, "Why didnt they just add something to the track to slow down that turn?" and that was as she passed through the room. I can almost understand the FIA's position that they should not penalize Bridgestone who "came to the race with the right equipment" and level the playing field for Michelin. But on the other hand...WTF?!

Anyway, I wish I had not rushed through all 17 1/2 hours of Le Mans coverage via Tivo as it was at least a decent race. Why isnt anyone talking about that???

[TheStig]

They should have put that chicane in like they said on the F1 site! I can't believe the BS that went on this weekend.

At least the 24 hours of Le Mans went well.

[paul hastings]

Cetainly the Europeans have a knack for a lack of clarity in rules and a bit of circus act. At first I thought it would be best if they followed the American series models to have better control then I reminded myself of Cart and IRL. Both sides had a serious hurdle to overcome but, not looking at the big picture is a huuuge mistake for F1. I just cannot see how running a six car race is better then coming to some sort of compromise for the event. Then Michael almost takes out his teamate. I have never seen the two Ferrari drivers behave as such after a race. Certainly if Montoya had come out of the pits as Michael did he would have been sent to the garage. Sometimes F1 seems a bit pro Ferrari and Michael S. Too bad this didn't happen one race later in France!

[RickK]

Let's not act like Michelin has no experience with banked tracks. How many sports cars have worn Michelin tires in the Rolex 24? Sure their speeds may be a bit slower than F1 but their weight is certainly higher. While the Ferarri win is hollow, what else could the Bridgestone teams do, not run?

If I were Ferrari I would have negotiated the chicane for a few extra warm laps in future qualifying to balance the Bridestone's inferior quailifying performance vs. the Michelins.

[martinreinhardt]

Bernie Ecclestone and his Formula One Management (FOM) needs to be fired it is way overdue. He has been descroying Elite Formula 1 for way to long now and proably killed the F1 last weekend.

As for Michelin (they are almost for sure out of F1 now), I think they did the right thing warning the teams. But the FIA rules should allow to switch to a different tire or get a Bridgestone from an other team. The idea of making the F1 more affortable by using the practice tires is redigilous.

Sports and politics

[paul hastings]

At the moment it does appear Michelin made a huge mistake. However, the situation is what it is and they had a show to put on. For sure this must happen without putting the drivers to more risk then they already are exposed to. Yes, Ferrari and Max Mosely have a point with the rules and Bridgestone being prepared. However, the USGP was a joke and they have likely destroyed F1 in the US for a while.

[David J Marguglio]

Well I have read the press releases from the FIA, Michelin, M-shod teams, drivers, etc. and now I have read all of your comments too. Though it is clear that none of us possess all of the information, this is what I have been able to glean/interpret from my reading.

1. Michelin was caught out with a unsafe and poorly constructed tire.
2. Michelin attempted to remedy the problem with new tire, but failed as they were “able to replicate the failure” in their own testing (I can even imagine the equipment and technology that they must possess.)
3. FIA denied the request to add a chicane based on a number of factors, not the least of which being, that it would completely change the type of track which could change the necessary brake setup, aero packages, etc. etc. This change would not only level a playing field to the unfair detriment of the B-shod teams, it could pose additional risks to all teams. Race director Charlie Whiting summed it up like this: “To change the course in order to help some of the teams with a performance problem caused by their failure to bring suitable equipment to the race would be a breach of the rules and grossly unfair to those teams which have come to Indianapolis with the correct tyres.”
4. FIA outlined a few options for the Michelin teams including: slowing through turn 13, using new tires and incurring a penalty, or repeatedly changing tires subject to safety reasons.
5. The Michelin-shod teams chose to pass on all of those options and to withdraw from the race.

Given these details, I find the teams to be the most culpable in this farce. True there were significant mitigating factors that dealt them a poor hand, but it was ultimately their decision, and theirs alone, that prevented them from running, albeit at a competitive disadvantage, but nonetheless running.

There are two additional effects of this debacle: first, the teams now have a better and more public case for withdrawing from the FIA at the end of the Concord Agreement, and, secondly, Bernie can lay the groundwork for moving the USGP to another, more lucrative (for him of course) location. I think that there are larger and more nefarious forces at work here and as is usual with F1, nothing is what it seems. Too bad we all have to suffer through it.

[Jad]

1. Michelin was caught out with a unsafe and poorly constructed tire.
2. Michelin attempted to remedy the problem with new tire, but failed as they were “able to replicate the failure” in their own testing (I can even imagine the equipment and technology that they must possess.)
3. FIA denied the request to add a chicane based on a number of factors, not the least of which being, that it would completely change the type of track which could change the necessary brake setup, aero packages, etc. etc. This change would not only level a playing field to the unfair detriment of the B-shod teams, it could pose additional risks to all teams. Race director Charlie Whiting summed it up like this: “To change the course in order to help some of the teams with a performance problem caused by their failure to bring suitable equipment to the race would be a breach of the rules and grossly unfair to those teams which have come to Indianapolis with the correct tyres.”
4. FIA outlined a few options for the Michelin teams including: slowing through turn 13, using new tires and incurring a penalty, or repeatedly changing tires subject to safety reasons.
5. The Michelin-shod teams chose to pass on all of those options and to withdraw from the race.


There are two additional effects of this debacle: first, the teams now have a better and more public case for withdrawing from the FIA at the end of the Concord Agreement, and, secondly, Bernie can lay the groundwork for moving the USGP to another, more lucrative (for him of course) location. I think that there are larger and more nefarious forces at work here and as is usual with F1, nothing is what it seems. Too bad we all have to suffer through it.

Dave, must disagree on a couple points, don't understand your point 2? Could the replacement tires have been used or where they also unsafe? But mostly point 4, the M-shod teams were not given a viable choice. Slowing down for 13, IF drivers were to do this, would have violated the safety rule of running at a competitive pace as Ferrari would not be slowing down and the m-shod teams would have been disqualified for being too slow. The tire changing wouldn't work as the tires could fail at anytime, not just after wearing out (see Zonta and R. Schuey) and I never heard them offered the chance to use new tires? Which tires? Did Bridgestone have enough for all or the new M's or what tire did they choose not to use? I thought that is what they wanted, but would settle for the chicane?

Also point 5, the M-shod teams were prohibited from running once M said the tires were unsafe. It was a safety violation to do otherwise and they would have been disqualified.

Was the decision proper per the specific rules, probably, but the bigger picture is that this is a show for fans and sponsors, not a game and this decision by Bernie and Max failed to realize the customer is always right. Good bye F1, welcome spec 1.

As per the Bernie bigger picture you mentioned, I think you are 100% correct. Tony George and Indy may have really been the losers in all of this. Fontana is actually the most likely alternative I see....

[Tim Comeau]

We go almost as fast as the F1 cars, but never seem to have any arguments about tires because we all run the same tire.
944-spec racing..........soon we'll be more popular that F1. Well, at least we'll put on a better show!

[MVZ944T]

I read some comments earlier today on the web. It appears that most of the teams still want to split from FIA (smart move), and that includes just about all the teams with the exception of Ferrari. So, wasn't it easy for Ferrari to gain a few points that they have been unable to do otherwise this year. Bottom line, no matter who was at fault, it did not help the sport. Even the French! were calling it Formula "0"!

[Tim Comeau]

Yes, indeed. I heard it reported as "Formula none."

[Chris Benbow]

A statement issued by FIA earlier today:

Formula One is a sporting contest. It must operate to clear rules. These cannot be negotiated each time a competitor brings the wrong equipment to a race.

At Indianapolis we were told by Michelin that their tyres would be unsafe unless their cars were slowed in the main corner. We understood and among other suggestions offered to help them by monitoring speeds and penalising any excess. However, the Michelin teams refused to agree unless the Bridgestone runners were slowed by the same amount. They suggested a chicane.

The Michelin teams seemed unable to understand that this would have been grossly unfair as well as contrary to the rules. The Bridgestone teams had suitable tyres. They did not need to slow down. The Michelin teams' lack of speed through turn 13 would have been a direct result of inferior equipment, as often happens in Formula One. It must also be remembered that the FIA wrote to all of the teams and both tyre manufacturers on June 1, 2005, to emphasise that "tyres should be built to be reliable under all circumstances".

A chicane would have forced all cars, including those with tyres optimised for high-speed, to run on a circuit whose characteristics had changed fundamentally from ultra-high speed (because of turn 13) to very slow and twisting. It would also have involved changing the circuit without following any of the modern safety procedures, possibly with implications for the cars and their brakes. It is not difficult to imagine the reaction of an American court had there been an accident (whatever its cause) with the FIA having to admit it had failed to follow its own rules and safety procedures.

The reason for this debacle is clear. Each team is allowed to bring two types of tyre: one an on-the-limit potential race winner, the other a back-up which, although slower, is absolutely reliable. Apparently, none of the Michelin teams brought a back-up to Indianapolis. They subsequently announced they were flying in new tyres from France but then claimed that these too were unsafe.

What about the American fans? What about Formula One fans world-wide? Rather than boycott the race the Michelin teams should have agreed to run at reduced speed in turn 13. The rules would have been kept, they would have earned Championship points and the fans would have had a race. As it is, by refusing to run unless the FIA broke the rules and handicapped the Bridgestone runners, they have damaged themselves and the sport.

It should also be made clear that Formula One Management and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as commercial entities, can have no role in the enforcement of the rules."