FIA charging all Michelin teams with bring Sport into Disrepute.

[nafe!]

I almost couldnt beleive my eyes when i read this from www.f1live.com

All seven Formula One teams who failed to race in Sunday's US Grand Prix over fears their Michelin tyres might be dangerous have been charged with bringing the sport into disrepute.

Toyota, Renault, McLaren-Mercedes, Williams-BMW, BAR-Honda, Sauber-Petronas and Red Bull-Cosworth have been summonsed to defend the charges in Paris on June 29 by motor racing's governing body FIA.

FIA took the decision after the race descended into farce when the seven teams pulled into the pitlane after the warm-up lap leaving just the cars of Ferrari, Minardi and Jordan in the field.

The French tyre maker has refused to accept the blame - instead accusing FIA and their president Max Mosley of refusing to compromise over the problem.


What a joke! Michelin made a stuff up but they did everything they could to fix it with the FIA and ferrari blocking there attempts.

If they had raced and someone had been killed they would have been held accountable for it!.

The FIA in particular Max is just digging himself a deeper and deeper hole.

I hope the teams turn this back onto the FIA .

[ttc]

Correction, Michelin did everything to ENSURE that Michelin's teams do not suffer a penalty despite its stuff up by INSISTING that it will race ONLY with a chicane.

That was the ONLY option that Michelin was WILLING to consider.

The rest are simply smoke screen.

And read what Frank Williams and Jean Todt said. Ferrari was NEVER in the picture. Unless you believe JT now had FW in his pocket too.

Sheesh.

[Sheila M]

Originally Posted by nafe!

I hope the teams turn this back onto the FIA .

I think public opinion will probably do that for them.

[joe rossi]

Umm let me guess...all Michelin teams with have just enough points docked to ensure another Ferrari championship. Cheers Max!

[DaveBrockman]

The teams have a ready-made excuse for not racing. All they need to do is to change a couple of words in the FIA's statement:

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.

"It is not difficult to imagine the reaction of an American court had there been an accident (whatever its cause) with Michelin having advised us in writing that we should not race on their product."

That's all they need to say. If the FIA persue matters further then they would be highy hypocritical.

[joe rossi]

I'm dying to hear the FIA explanation of how a two speed race around turn 13 fits with their primary job of ensuring safety at all races.

[joe rossi]

charge 1:

- failed to ensure that you had a supply of suitable tyres for the race

The teams thought they did didn't they? It was only at the race that it became apparent they didn't, when Michelin told them so, or are all team personnel now tyre experts as well. This all seems to be an attempt to divert the attention away from the FIA. Pathetic.

[Menelaos]

Michelin failed to do its job, that is providing suitable tyres.
The FIA failed to do its job, that is ensuring the race went on.

It was neither Michelin's nor the teams' job to ensure the race would actually be a race. That was the FIA's job and they failed to carry it out. It's a shame that instead of publicly apologising they're trying to convince us it's not their fault. They are the ones that have to pay back the fans, and Michelin probably has to be fined by the FIA. Any Michelin team being punished, even with one point off their championship points, will be an innocent victim and I wish F1 DIES in case this title is given to Ferrari so shamelessly. It's not Ferrari's fault, no one is to blame them, but the FIA are totally unable to do a decent job, or at least accept the consequences of their inability. They have to be ashamed of themselves, they destroyed a wonderful sport and now they're trying to say it wasn't their fault. I'm so sorry they don't even provide us with a contact address to express our thoughts, they're 100% ridiculous. They're pathetic.

[Menelaos]

Originally Posted by joe rossi

or are all team personnel now tyre experts as well.

These dudes think it wasn't their responsibility to make sure the gp would be successful. You think they're clever enough to understand if the tyres' problem is a fault of the runners or the tyre manufacturer? If they could, they'd ban the drivers. They're pathetic and disgusting. Their behavior is unacceptable. They've ruined the best season we've had for years.

[D_Marshall]

To me it seems that the parties in the wrong were both Michelin and the FIA for a variety of reasons. So why on Earth is it that the teams are being punished? It was obvious the teams wanted to race but there was no way they could race on those tires (Michelin) on that track (FIA).

[Menelaos]

Originally Posted by D_Marshall

It was obvious the teams wanted to race but there was no way they could race on those tires (Michelin) on that track (FIA).

Yeah, it seems the FIA thinks Michelin teams were very glad to see Ferrari getting 18 points, and MS reaching the third position in the drivers standings. Well done FIA, good job!

[Cougar]

IMO it is partly the teams fault as well. Talking to a smaller scale if one team, lets say team X are supplied by company Y with a steering wheel. Said steering wheel is super light and lets the teams place more weight lower down in the car. Said steering wheel is also prone to disintegrate when it comes into contact with water...

Sunday comes and its pooring down with rain... Oops team X have not brought there normal steering wheels and company Y has no spares either after supplying the local go cart track with there supply... Who do you blame for not being able to race? Who's responsibility is it to ensure that your car can complete the race. To me it seems the fact that 14 cars were involved is clouding the issue. Obviously it is a lot more complex than this and there are other factors where they could not come to a resolution but...

IMO the fact that the teams could not race is the team's responsibilty but it is michelins fault that they could not do this.

[knock-on]

Originally Posted by DaveBrockman

The teams have a ready-made excuse for not racing. All they need to do is to change a couple of words in the FIA's statement:



"It is not difficult to imagine the reaction of an American court had there been an accident (whatever its cause) with Michelin having advised us in writing that we should not race on their product."

That's all they need to say. If the FIA persue matters further then they would be highy hypocritical.

Hello Dave. Hiding?

I think this is an idiotic stance by the FIA.

[Menelaos]

Originally Posted by Cougar

IMO the fact that the teams could not race is the team's responsibilty but it is michelins fault that they could not do this.

It's not the same. Teams are responsible for their own steering wheels. Not the same with tyres. The tyre manufacturer is to blame here.

[Tone]

Suppose that depends if the teams followed Micheling recomendations on how to set tyre up..

[TomS]

IMO yes Michelin made a huge mistake and should be punished. However, the teams had NO choice but to not race with the circuit staying as it was. The Senna trial has shown how a drivers death can result in huge lawsuits and charges against the teams and if the teams had already been informed that the tyres may be dangerous they would have probably been charged, especially if members of the public had been killed. This situation was bad enough however i feel that it was made worse by the FIA and Ferrari not being able to come up with a solution. OK maybe MIchelin refused certain FIA proposals but at least one of them was just stupid (running slow through the banking). Why couldnt they agreed to give the Bridgestone teams the top 6 places in points or similar and race without championship points or only allow 1/2 points to the michelin teams and let the change tyres or similar?

[Menelaos]

Exactly my thoughts.

[Frank_White]

the logic and legality of this situation is eminently clear.

the motives of the Teams and Michelin was not to compete in a situation where by slowing down they would have been severly beaten. Such would have placed Michelin in an awful commercial light in America (one of its biggest markets).

This is the real reason they didnt agree to slow down on turn 13.

Legally, the FIA was completely right. if the situation was reversed with Bridgstone there would be no hue and cry. People are focusing on the fact that there were only 6 cars in the race. If 14 cars were racing there would have been enough for a spectacle and everyone would have said tough luck to Bridgstone and their teams.

The fact is that Michelin (and the 7 teams by association) breached the terms of their respective contracts by refusing to race at all. they were the ones with the problem, the onus was on them to accommodate the solutions advanced by the FIA.

Their stance was similar to a Defendant being found guilty and then attempting to determine his punishment. The guilty party should be the one to compromise, not the FIA.

I am actually a Barrister and I can comfortably say I have a much firmer grasp of the issues than most posters who churn out drivel over this issue.

[Glen]

Frank! Bless you - a sensible voice.

[josvandeperre]

You can't be a barrister as you can't have been paid for the above advice !

[Menelaos]

Originally Posted by Frank_White

People are focusing on the fact that there were only 6 cars in the race. If 14 cars were racing there would have been enough for a spectacle and everyone would have said tough luck to Bridgstone and their teams.

Yes, but the FIA is also driven by this. They accuse the Michelin teams because the race was laughable. So, if the Bridgeston teams withdrew, as you said, it wouldn't matter so much and the race would be ok, just without the ferraris. So the FIA would not accuse Bridgestone's teams of destroying the sport's reputation. Which is unfair, I think both Michelin's and Bridgestone's teams have the right NOT TO RACE if they don't feel safe.

[frostblade]

Have you actually seen the contracts involved then Frank? Have the teams been charged with breaking a contract?

[Glen]

No teams have a right not to race - they have a contractual obligation to be prepared for the race, at least (presumably) within reasonable limits. Not bringing safe tyres is hardly within reasonable limits.

Yes - the teams have been charged with breaking thier F1 contracts - in several specific ways, including failing to bring suitable tyres.

[pole2pole]

So lets say the result of this meeting on the 29th of June is that no points will be docked from the seven teams and michelin hit with a massive fine. Do you think Ferrari will be content with that.

[Glen]

Originally Posted by pole2pole

So lets say the result of this meeting on the 29th of June is that no points will be docked from the seven teams and michelin hit with a massive fine. Do you think Ferrari will be content with that.

What has Ferrari got to do with it? They already got the maximum result from the race.