Fia Turn Down Chicane Request

[jjoseph 0]

The FIA have just released the following correspondance between Michelin and Race Director Charlie Whiting...

Race Director:

Saturday June 18 2005

Indianapolis

Charlie Whiting, FIA Race Director and Safety delegate

Dear Mr Whiting

Having analysed and fully evaluated the tyre failures that have occurred over the Indianapolis Grand Prix practice sessions we have been unable to identify a root cause.

The current rules and timescale do not permit the use of an alternative tyre solution and the race must be performed with the qualifying tyres.

Michelin has in the sole interest of safety informed its partner teams that we do not have total assurance that all tyres that qualified the cars can be used unless the vehicle speed in turn 13 can be reduced.

Michelin very much regrets this situation, but has taken this decision after careful consideration and in the best interests of safety at the event.

We trust that the FIA can understand our position and we remain at your disposal if you want any further information.

Pierre Dupasquier

Michelin Motorsport Director

Nick Shorrock

Director of Michelin F1 activities

Cc:

Bernie Ecclestone

Michelin teams

Ron Dennis (West McLaren-Mercedes)

Flavio Briatore (Mild Seven Renault F1)

Frank Williams (BMW WilliamsF1 Team)

Peter Sauber (Sauber Petronas)

Christian Horner (Red Bull Racing)

Nick Fry (B-A-R Honda)

John Howett (Panasonic Toyota Racing)

Letter from Charlie Whiting, the FIA Formula One Race Director, in reply to above letter from Representatives of Michelin:

19 June, 2005

Dear Mr Dupasquier,

Dear Mr Shorrock,

We have received your letter of 18 June.

We are very surprised that this difficulty has arisen. As you know, each team is allowed to bring two different types of tyre to an event so as to ensure that a back-up (usually of lower performance) is available should problems occur. It is hard to understand why you have not supplied your teams with such a tyre given your years of experience at Indianapolis.

That the teams you supply are not in possession of such a tyre will also be a matter for the FIA to consider in due course under Article 151c of the International Sporting Code.

No doubt you will inform your teams what is the maximum safe speed for their cars in Turn 13. We will remind them of the need to follow your advice for safety reasons. We will also ask them to ensure their cars do not obstruct other competitors.

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.

Another possibility would be for the relevant teams repeatedly to change the affected tyre during the race (we understand you have told your teams the left rear is safe for a maximum of ten laps at full speed). If the technical delegate and the stewards were satisfied that each change was made because the tyre would otherwise fail (thus for genuine safety reasons) and that the relevant team were not gaining an advantage, there would be no penalty. If this meant using tyres additional to a teams

[Fed up 0]

Forza Ferrari

[bajo39 0]

There should be no lenience whatsoever for the Michelin runners.

[Jenson_Rules 0]

Its not the teams fault though, it's michelins who with their experience should not have made such an error!

[Max Mosley 2]

I would like there to be some leniency in the interests of having a good race. I can't really see Ferrari et al. agreeing to it though.

[YHR 0]

I completely agree with the position taken by the FIA. The teams themselves know what the solution is to prevent a tire failure, and therefor should use this knowledge and driver skills to manage the problem.

To expect to have a rule change because some teams do not have a competitve package, and do not trust their drivers to exercise the subsequent driver judgement required is ludicrious.

Perhaps F1 should move the USGP to the Bonneville salt flats. That would allow them to race with no corners, and the petal to the metal for the race distance.

[Senna 0]

I understand the objections which have been raised but if is a matter of safety

[YHR 0]

Adjust wings for lower down force. Don't they call this setting up a car to perform to the best of the equipment available!!!!!!!

Driver skills in managing a car not set up for optimum performance

As JV said it is not all the Michelin teams having a problem, only the high downforce, high horespower ones. These are the same teams with the biggest budgets who spend time doing the most testing. Excuse me if I don't feel sorry for them

[Sato 0]

IF theres some bad crashes tonight, then the FIA will have choosen the wrong option.

[YHR 0]

IF theres some bad crashes tonight, then the FIA will have choosen the wrong option.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Reduce the downforce and the tire problem will go away. The teams concerned and the drivers have to adjust.

This is a Michelin problem

[pumpdoc 2]

There should be no lenience whatsoever for the Michelin runners.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Damn straight! "tough titty said the kitty but the milks still fresh"

[Sato 0]

Thats one weird saying....

By the way, i never said it wasn't michelins fault. Im just saying that if there happens to be a bad crash or two tonight, im going to think the FIA went the wrong way with it.

[Senna 0]

Thats one weird saying....

By the way, i never said it wasn't michelins fault. Im just saying that if there happens to be a bad crash or two tonight, im going to think the FIA went the wrong way with it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I

[Kaciaj 0]

Yes the FIA is pure s##t

[Monty 0]

There should be no lenience whatsoever for the Michelin runners.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Agreed. Michelin dropped the ball, and sadly the teams have to pay the price.

[pumpdoc 2]

Thats one weird saying....

By the way, i never said it wasn't michelins fault. Im just saying that if there happens to be a bad crash or two tonight, im going to think the FIA went the wrong way with it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's an old school yard taunt---I too would not like to see a crash, good or bad--but that said the teams on French rubber will have to adjust plain and simple, if that means going slower so be it!! I've said from the start that the one tire rule is a farce and this just proves it

[Sato 0]

I prefered the old trye changing pit stops also.

Do you really think that every michelin runner is going to ease off in turns 12 and 13? Noway, in the heat of the battle you don't give an inch.

[Senna 0]

I prefered the old trye changing pit stops also.

Do you really think that every michelin runner is going to ease off in turns 12 and 13? Noway, in the heat of the battle you don't give an inch.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Precisely and this will almost inevitably be dangerous.

[pumpdoc 2]

I prefered the old trye changing pit stops also.

Do you really think that every michelin runner is going to ease off in turns 12 and 13? Noway, in the heat of the battle you don't give an inch.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So why should the Bridgstone shod teams have to suffer because of Michlins screw-up????????????????

[Sato 0]

So we don't have to have another Imola 94 on our hands.

[Senna 0]

So we don't have to have another Imola 94 on our hands.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Sato 0]

I feel your pain

[bajo39 0]

I understand the objections which have been raised but if is a matter of safety

[silvermachine 0]

WILLIAMS AND McLAREN HAPPY WITH TYRES

The final problem for Michelin and the FIA is that there are two teams who are happy to run the current tyres, with Williams technical director Sam Michael admitting that they have had no issues with their tyres on both low and high pressures.

"I don't think it is necessarily a given that all Michelin teams will follow the same route," Michael said when asked if teams will change to the Barcelona-spec tyres.

"We have had no failures, running yesterday on low pressures, high pressures, running this morning as well with low fuel and high fuel, and we still haven't had any failures."

[bajo39 0]

I prefered the old trye changing pit stops also.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is because your man has a chronic inability to look after his equipment.