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Below is a
statement from the FIA covering their position in response to events and
claims made over the course of the weekend as a result of the Michelin tyre
problem.
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" (see correspondence attached).
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. |
