possibly. all Bridgestone too, thanks to unsafe tires from Michelin.
The seven Michelin teams have agreed that they will only race in the USGP if a chicane is fitted before the banked Turn 13 overnight.
The bombshell decision came after a meeting of the team principals and Michelin bosses. The French company could not guarantee the safety of its tires, and the fact that this race is in the USA, where litigation is common, made things even more awkward.
Thats Michelins fault then for not designing the tired correctly
Where were you when the West was defeated?
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Sunday's United States Grand Prix seems set to go ahead as expected, despite safety concerns over Michelin's tyres.
Michelin had suggested the seven teams not race unless Ralf Schumacher's tyre failure in practice on Friday could be explained or new tyres allowed.
That would have left only six cars on the grid - Ferrari, Jordan and Minardi - and rules state a race can be called off if there are less than 12 cars.
But the race is expected to start at its scheduled time of 1900 BST.
A tyre failure sent Schumacher smashing into a wall at Indianapolis on Friday.
Michelin were unable to "understand or reproduce" Schumacher's tyre failure.
The company wanted to fly in new tyres from its factory in France, but FIA rules prohibit the introduction of a new tyre part-way through a Grand Prix weekend
But International Automobile Federation (FIA) chiefs have sent a letter to Michelin bosses, warning them that teams face punishment if they try to use alternative tyres for the race itself.
"We have told them this would be a breach of the rules to be considered by the stewards," said the letter.
"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."
Renault chief Flavio Briatore said his team would not take part in the US GP if Michelin advised them not to.
"We fully support Michelin in this situation and in the efforts they are making to best resolve it," he said.
"They are flying out different tyres to use in the race, the same that were used for the Spanish Grand Prix.
We are worried - all of the Michelin teams
Fernando Alonso
Championship leader
"The authorisation to use them has not yet been granted. If that were not given, we would not compete."
Championship leader Fernando Alonso also supported Michelin's stance - but said he thought it was unlikely a boycott would be necessary.
The Renault driver said: "We are worried - all of the Michelin teams are.
"If Michelin say it's not safe, the drivers would agree not to race, but this is an extreme option and this will not happen, never.
"I think this low (tyre) pressure some of the teams ran yesterday was some of the problem," he added.
Schumacher's team-mate, Ricardo Zonta, also suffered a similar blowout at a less critical part of the circuit.
Schumacher, who crashed at almost the same spot last year, was unhurt but was ruled out of the race after a medical.
Championship leaders Renault, McLaren, BAR, Williams, Red Bull, Toyota and Sauber all use Michelin tyres.
Only two of the 14 drivers using the French company's tyres set a timed lap in the first 45 minute session, the rest diverting through the pit lane rather than taking the final banked curve flat out.
However, all went out in the second, with McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen setting the quickest time ahead of BAR's Jenson Button and Alonso.
We are actively pursuing the dispatch of (new) tyres to Indianapolis
Michelin
"There are many tyre problems across the pit lane," Alonso added.
"I think it's going to be a very risky race to start off with."
Michelin said they had been working with their experts in Clermont-Ferrand, France, to try to find a tyre that they knew would be safe for Indianapolis.
"We are in a process of discussing this possibility with the FIA and are actively pursuing the dispatch of these tyres to Indianapolis," the French manufacturer said.
There was no immediate comment from the FIA, but the sport's governing body did send a letter to the tyre makers and teams reminding them of their obligations to ensure safety after Raikkonen crashed out of this month's European Grand Prix.
Rules introduced this season force teams to use the same tyres for both qualifying and the race, and tyre selection for an event has to be made well before the weekend.
Champions Ferrari, Jordan and Minardi use Bridgestone tyres.
McLaren's Colombian driver Juan Pablo Montoya was fastest in the first session ahead of Ferrari's seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher.
Red Bull's David Coulthard was the only other Michelin driver to complete a timed lap.
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bitWISE wrote:They don't have any other tires they can use!?
I'm assuming sponsorship rules and shit would get in the way of using another brand of tire. Plus it could be regulations in the race preventing them from using another brand. I know they aren't allowed to change the type of tire so it may apply to using another brand too.
bitWISE wrote:They don't have any other tires they can use!?
I'm assuming sponsorship rules and shit would get in the way of using another brand of tire. Plus it could be regulations in the race preventing them from using another brand. I know they aren't allowed to change the type of tire so it may apply to using another brand too.
Yeah but it would be in the interests of Michelin to let the cars run with a different brand than to completely stop the cars. How many people would even notice if they used something else?
Well apparently they did. Still though it's all contractual stuff right so they technicly have the final word but it would be in their best interest to let them race with other brands but there's also the racing regulations that don't allow them to change tires afterwards since they did the qualifying with those tires. It'd make the race unfair to those that have to use the same tires.
mik0rs wrote:No, the teams using Michelin have special dispensation to switch to Continental tyres for this race.
where'd you read that?
In his response FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting stated:
As explained in our earlier letter, your teams have a 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). It is for them to decide. We have nothing to add.
i see nothing of a mention of Continental or any other manufacturer for that matter.
mik0rs wrote:No, the teams using Michelin have special dispensation to switch to Continental tyres for this race.
where'd you read that?
In his response FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting stated:
As explained in our earlier letter, your teams have a 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). It is for them to decide. We have nothing to add.
i see nothing of a mention of Continental or any other manufacturer for that matter.
