Indianapolis F1 GP debacle

[Memnoch]

Noticed there wasn't a thread for this yet - any motor sport fans here?

Much has been said about the fiasco that took place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway yesterday, most of it one group pointing the finger at another group. From what I can discern this is what happened:

• Using Michelins, Ralf Schumacher crashes - again - in practice. So does Zonta;
• Michelin can't explain why they crashed and says they cannot guarantee the durability of their tyres and are recommending that teams using Michelins not race, unless: 1) they're allowed to use new tyres flown in from France; or 2) a temporary chicane be built to slow cars from reaching 300mph on turn 12/13. This proposal is sent to FIA via letter and supported by 9 of the 10 teams, excluding Ferrari who are running Bridgestones and do not have a problem;
• FIA reject the Michelin suggestion, saying it is up to the drivers to either manually manage their speeds by slowing down on that corner, or use new tyres and incur a penalty; or go into the pits more often to change the tyre - the track would not be modified to account for a defect in tyre design as this could open the race up to protests;
• Without the chicane being built, Michelin refuse to approve their tyres as being fit to race;
• The Michelin teams offer to let the Bridgestone teams have the first six spots on the grid and are willing to consider the FIA suggestion to "manually slow down on turn 12/13" as long as the Bridgestone teams are to be slowed down as well, a proposal FIA did not accept;
• On advice from Michelin, their teams all decide to not race - they participate in the warmup lap but then pull into the pits and do not complete the race;
• Michael Schumacher wins a farcical race of only six cars;
• Indianapolis Speedway bosses question the viability of future USGP races amid public anger and disgust.

I reckon that covers it. Some quotes from the various parties below as well:

What they said (all taken from the Fox Sports Australia Motor Sport section):

Michelin's View Before the race "Our advice today is to not run tomorrow's race," said Michelin director of competition Nick Shorrock. He expanded on a press release issued earlier by the company that said it had "advised on the conditions for tests, qualifying and for the race tomorrow". "These decisions have been taken in the interest of the safety of the drivers." "Despite all the checks that we've done, both here and in our test facilities in Clermont-Ferrand, we have not been able to understand or reproduce the problem of yesterday," the Michelin statement said. After the race "It is regrettable that our pre-race suggestions, agreed in conjunction with our partner teams, were not adopted," a post-race Michelin statement said. "Had our ideas been followed, we could have guaranteed driver safety, the participation of our teams and added interest for the public." Michelin's competition deputy director Frederic Henry-Biabaud said today the Michelin-shod teams had no option but to withdraw. "Michelin would have been to blame if it had raced," he said. "Do you imagine what would have happened if, having seen the failure on Friday, we had decided to race the tyre and we had a problem? "I prefer, as a company, we find ourselves in this position rather than if there had been an accident." He blamed the specifics of the Indianapolis track, and hit out at the FIA for failing to agree to a compromise. "We proposed realistic, feasible alternatives," he said.

FIA's View Before the race The international governing body said flatly that it would not bend the rules requiring teams to use the same tyres as those used in Saturday's qualifying, noting that any team that used a new batch of different specification tyres flown in from France would be penalised. They also quashed a suggestion raised Saturday night that a new chicane should be built to slow cars heading into the final banked turn at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - a proposition FIA described in a letter to Michelin executives Pierre Dupasquier and Nick Shorrock as "out of the question." FIA Formula One race director Charlie Whiting made it clear that the governing body would not suspend the rules, and it was up to Michelin and the teams to look after their drivers' safety. After the race FIA Formula One race director Charlie Whiting had made the governing body's position clear earlier in the day with a letter to Michelin executives. "As explained in our earlier letter, your teams have the choice of running more slowly in turn 12/13, running a tyre not used in qualifying (which would attract a penalty) or repeatedly changing a tyre (subject to valid safety reasons)," he said. "It is for them to decide. We have nothing to add." "Formula One is a sporting contest. It must operate to clear rules," the International Automobile Federation (FIA) said in a statement issued in Paris overnight. "These cannot be negotiated each time a competitor brings the wrong equipment to a race." The FIA said that rather than boycott the race, which went ahead with just six cars, the Michelin teams should have run at reduced speeds. "The rules would have been kept, they would have earned championship points and the fans would have had a race," it said. "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." The FIA said installing a chicane would have been "grossly unfair" as well as against the rules. "At Indianapolis we were told by Michelin that their tyres would be unsafe unless their cars were slowed in the main corner," the statement said. "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. "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."

The view of the 7 teams that pulled out Before the race "This is going to leave a long-lasting bitter taste in people's mouths," said British driver David Coulthard. "Quite frankly, as a driver, I'm embarrassed to be involved in this situation. "The fact is that mature adults were not able to put on a show for everybody. It's a very sad day for racing." Williams technical director Sam Michael said new tyres brought in by Michelin from France overnight after failures in practice had been ruled out after tests by the company. "The only solution is to have the chicane...if that happens, Michelin will approve the tyres to race. They will not give approval otherwise," Michael said 90 minutes before the official start of the race. After the race THE seven teams whose late withdrawal turned the US Grand Prix into a Ferrari victory procession today have defended their decision. They said it was on grounds of safety and apologised to fans and blamed motor racing officials for not solving their problem. "The Michelin teams deeply regret the position that they have been put in today and would like to apologise to all the spectators, TV viewers, Formula One fans and sponsors for not being able to take part in today's USA Grand Prix," said a statement issued jointly by the teams. "We are totally aware that the USA is an important market for Formula One and there is an obligation for Formula One to promote itself in a positive and professional manner," the joint team satement concluded. "It is sad that we couldn't showcase Formula One in the manner we would have liked today." Red Bull sporting director Christian Horner said: "I have the greatest of sympathy for all the fans and supporters here today, but we were left with no other option based on the advice of our tyre supplier. It has been a difficult situation and unfortunately, the result hasn't been fantastic. It's not a great day for Formula One."

Schumy's view "It's not the right way to win my first one this year," said Schumacher, Germany's seven-time world champion who has now won four of the six US Grands Prix staged at Indianapolis. "It is just a shame we could not fight in the normal way, because I think that even with the other cars we could have won."

Motorsport fans' views Monday's Indianapolis Star newspaper quoted fans clamouring for their money back and voicing disgust at what they had witnessed. "I brought my kids, we travelled 9-1/2 hours from Maryland and we get this?," said Adolf Rose. "This is a bunch of crap. They should give every one of us our money back."

What a monumental cockup. And it happened (unfortunately for Michelin, FI, Ecclestone and the Michelin teams) in the most litigious country in the world. I hear the lawsuits have already started. Heads surely must roll somewhere for this. [img]graemlins/lol.gif[/img]

[VulcanRider]

I didn't see the race, but from what I've read I would agree with the FIA. The drivers had the choice of laying off the gas a little bit, changing tires more often, or accepting the penalty for using the new tires. I assume they knew about this penalty before they even asked about using the different tires. And the suggestion of requiring the Bridgestone cars to slow down as well is silly -- why should they be punished for bringing better equipment?

[mad=dog]

It's a disgrace. I have watched F1 for more than a decade and never in my life have I seen anything quite of this caliber. I thought the scandal of the season was made with BARs underweight car, but this takes the grand price.
I my opinion provisional permission should have been given to Michelins teams allowing them to race on their Magny-Cour tires. They were willing to race outside classification. Who would have cared? I just want to watch the race. It is especially disgraceful to the thousands and thousands of fans that come from all corners of the world to watch it.
I simply cannot believe that an agreement could not be reached...

I don't want to go around pointing fingers and blame specifical teams/orgs/individuals. All are to blame. None are blameless - not even the Bridgestone teams.

[Felix The Assassin]

A few years back the "good ol boys" had the same problem. Now they all run Goodyear's on their not so stock, stock cars!

My hats' off to the drivers that pitted. However, they should have opted to let FIA officals do a 300mph pass with those tires in question, and then see what position they would have been left with!

[Bungleau]

Hmmm... I hadn't read about this, but it smells like tough rocks for the Michelin teams. They had a choice to go slower, to take the penalty, to change tires more often, or to skip the race. They made their choice, and they should live with it.

The idea of going into a race and asking the other guys to slow down because you can't go as fast is just ludicrous in my book. 'Course, the idea of going in with equipment that seems prone to failure for no apparent reason is just as ludicrous.

Methinks they'll have a spare set of tires for future races, just in case... or they'll do more local testing.

'Tis truly a pity for those who went to see a race, though... they got far less than they wanted.

*edit* See my retraction of this post further down. I stand educated (at least, more so).

[ 06-22-2005, 11:56 AM: Message edited by: Bungleau ]

[mad=dog]

Sorry Bungleau, but the choice was really limited to pit the cars - otherwise they would have raced. They clearly expressed that they did not care for placement.
1) Go slower. Slow cars on the track is a quite dangerous thing. Especially since they must go slower AND take a suboptimal lane in a hard turn crossing the ideal curve twice.
2) Take the penalty. The penalty is black flag. Better to remain in pit. If the penalty had been anything else they would have raced. There were still points to race for even if Ferrari had a 40 second lead from a first lap stop-and-go. Heck with Ferraris season so far I doubt they would have won.
3) Change tires more often. How often? Even with onboard pressure analyser it's a guessing game. *Turns head at Michelin*. Nope. No information on how many rounds the tires can stand.

Leaving one: Remain in pit.

And yes it is tough luck for Michelin teams and they didn't try to hide that fact. Otherwise they wouldn't have offered to race without classification.

Of course they could have raced and purposely knocked the six Brigdestone cars off track. That would have been the smart choice. But that is not true sportsmanship.

[VulcanRider]

Originally posted by mad=dog: None are blameless - not even the Bridgestone teams.

Uh, what did they do? Other than show up with superior equipment?

[mad=dog]

Obviously the Bridgestone teams are least to blame. They did show up with superior equipment and should have the extra points or at the very least an advantage to match.
However especially one of the Bridgestone teams showed little regard to the fans and (as I understand it) sabotaged any attempt to reach an agreement. The other teams pledged solidarity and said they would pit along with the Michelin teams if it came to that. Then one of the teams broke that promise forcing the other one to follow suit since they are/were in direct competition over constructors and drivers ranking.
So the only "crime" commited would be blatant disregard to the fans who put butter on their bread. Nothing more.

I know I am being perhaps a little unreasonable here, but I care a great deal for this sport. I felt let down a little.

Luckily I could just switch over to Le Mans highlights instead. Way to go Tom Kristensen! Six in a row. Seven in total.

[Lanesra]

Originally posted by VulcanRider: And the suggestion of requiring the Bridgestone cars to slow down as well is silly -- why should they be punished for bringing better equipment?

Because it would be incredibly dangerous if a Ferrari travelling at full pelt suddenly came upon a Toyota travelling slowly. And not only dangerous for the drivers - the officials and spectators would be at risk as well. Think of the money the lawyers would make if someone was injured or killed.

[Lanesra]

Originally posted by Bungleau: Methinks they'll have a spare set of tires for future races, just in case... or they'll do more local testing.

They can't! It's against the rules. Of course Bridgestone is part of the same company as Firestone, and Firestone can and do test at Indianapolis and were able to pass tyre information to their F1 counterparts at Bridgestone.

Tne Michelin runners could have used new tyres but they would have breached 5 different F1 regulations.