USGP Michelin Tires

[Smeerak]

Is anyone else following this story ?

There is a chance that no Michelin runners will qualify or run tomorrow's race due to safety concerns.

Both Toyota's suffered left rear tire failures, one of which for Ralf on the final turn (i.e. almost the same accident as last year) but he's OK, however medically not cleared to race and Zonta will step in instead.

Michelin, what's going on ?

[johny]

they've bring very soft compounds and in the oval section the outside part of the rear right tyre suffers a lot and both zonta and ralf have suffered that. Briatore has said that they won't race in those conditions and michelin have send new tyres like the one used in spanish gp to use them in race. Following rules that's illegal so now they are discussing if they could use new tyres and what punishement they may get. Michelin also said they gave teams a 6 lap security lasting. So in next hours we'll see what happen

[wowf1]

I tell you what should happen: Michelin should bring new tyres to Indianapolis. But, it would be unfair on Bridgestone for Michelin teams not to incure a penalty. Michelin teams should start on the current tyres, then after 2 laps, a MANDATORY pit stop for every Michelin runner should be put in place, where they are not allowed to refuel, and the new tyres are fitted.

Think of the possible connotations! If Michelin change tyres mid-way through an event due to 'safety reasons', Bridgestone could intentionally cause a 'safety issue' with their tyres, knowing all along that they could fly in some new tyres, and be allowed to use them at that GP. I'm not saying that they would make their tyres unsafe, all they have to do is convince the Stewards that they're unsafe

[manchild]

I believe that this confusion could finish in a way that Bridgestone will accept Michelin changes and in return they will also put new tyres on their 3 teams...

[Steven]

Here's a recently released statement of the FIA:

"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," said the FIA statement.

About using a different tyre that used in qualifying the FIA said in a statement: "Some of the teams have raised with us the possibility of running a tyre which was not used in qualifying. We have told them this would be a breach of the rules to be considered by the stewards. We believe the penalty would not be exclusion but would have to be heavy enough to ensure that no team was tempted to use qualifying tyres in the future."

[West]

No Michelin runners... their tire is said not to last the whole race

I don't know who's to blame, as Michelin was supposed to supply another tire, which im sure they did.

[manchild]

This is hopefully the last F1 race for Bernie and Mosley. This race shows that their true concern isn’t at all for safety but only for money!

Those two bust..ds who ruined the sport in the previous 15 years, with Roland’s and Senna’s blood on their greedy hands will no longer be getting rich and screwing everyone else!

[Guest]

No Michelin runners... their tire is said not to last the whole race

I don't know who's to blame, as Michelin was supposed to supply another tire, which im sure they did.

They did but they werent allowed to used it

This race is soo stupid now

[johny]

if a team used that new tyres they'd been punished, so there weren't easy solutions. Nine teams decided to give the points to bridgestone drivers but to put a chicane before turn 13, and bring some racing but fia and ferrari in a sensible move banned that so that's what we have the crowd trowing bottles and cans on track and very bad consecuances for usgp

Edit: I can't load http://www.f1.com, what could happen?

[West]

It's not Ferrari's fault for this happening... the Michelin teams would have done the same if Bridgestone screwed up, so I hope we can agree with that. Only Jordan received cheers at the podium.

Even when Ferrari had "no comment" about the chicane the FIA wouldn't install it anyway, and would have not sanctioned the race.

Funny how my dad wanted to go this year's USGP... fortunately, my graduation ceremony was Saturday.

I don't think it's Ecclestone's fault the race was sh*t... you can blame the FIA for that.

[Monstrobolaxa]

This race shows that their true concern isn’t at all for safety but only for money!

It's all Michelins fault...you don't see Bridgestone having the problems that Michelin has been having! It really isn't Max or Bernies fault....if Michelin wasn't so desperate to win they wouldn't have made a tire that is too close to their intergrity limit....Bridgestone has been more conservative and you can clearly see that their tires can cope with the 300 km of the race!

[manchild]

It's not Ferrari's fault for this happening... the Michelin teams would have done the same if Bridgestone screwed up, so I hope we can agree with that. Only Jordan received cheers at the podium.

9 of 10 teams said NO so it wasn't Michelin vs. Bridgestone duel but once again it was Bernie, Max & Shuey vs. rest of the teams.

I don't think it's Ecclestone's fault the race was sh*t... you can blame the FIA for that.

Bernie and Max are history. Just think how many hundreds of millions of dollars invested in this race have they burned trying to act as gods, perhaps over a billion in the long term and this means only one thing for those two - out and possible bankruptcy.

9 teams said safety comes first while Max, Bernie and Ferrari said money comes first!

That is the key point!

[manchild]

...Bridgestone has been more conservative and you can clearly see that their tires can cope with the 300 km of the race!

Sorry Monstro but rear tyres on Barrichello's car which I've seen were almost gone even though they didn't have the pace of a real race.

[walter]

I cant believe Michelin teams really pulled out!!!

I wonder if there will be repricautions similar to what happened to BAR a few races ago.

Anyone have any thoughts on whether or not FIA can give out penalties for the michelin teams???

On the upside, the race for the championship has just gotten a little bit more interesting now that ferrari is closer to the top runners and minardi and jordan scored a few points.

[West]

I heard that if Michelin do use the new tires, they would have been excluded from the race anyway.