If no testing or track reconfig at IMS, then same result in 06?

I'm sure they will race, chicane or no chicane........

 

Maybe Michelin will bring a decent tire.

Besides, there's more of the field on Bridgestone next year.

 

The track configuration was never the problem. Nor should it be changed. The lack of testing and preparation by Michelin FOR EACH OF THEIR TEAMS was the basic problem. They had 3-4 years of prior "testing" at the track to show up with a tire that was safe, easy to conclude that Michelin dropped the ball, the rest is history. But in fact, it appears that it possibly was not the tire that was the bottom line problem, but the way some teams (i.e.Toyota) set up their chassis for the race. If you remember, only the Toyota team had tires fail. The faster McLaren and Renault teams did not have failures. So the conclusion? Think about it, seems obvious. Even the Speed TV announcers could understand this.

Why is this still a mystery to some of you?

 

If you go back to the inaugural F1 race at Indy in 2000 (?) there were concerns about the tire loading in turn 13. Bridgestone (the sole supplier at that time) recommended higher than normal pressures to deal with it. Of course teams largely ignored the recommendation but there was enough margin in the tires to cope.

Fast forward to 2005: two tire companies, thus pushing the performance envelope. Michelin rides closer to the edge and gets burned. While only Toyota had actual failures, IIRC there were indications of damage on other cars as well.

The good news is that Michelin has seen the effect of not having any tires for their teams and will be sure to have a super-safe option available. Problem this year was that the basic construction of all their tires was similar and so there was no "safer" tire on hand. But it's nothing a few more cords in the sidewall won't solve, if you see what I mean. It's an easy enough problem to fix, it just can't be done literally overnight.

All that said, I still have the sneaking suspicion that a few psi would have solved the problem as well but lawyers being what they are, nobody felt they could risk it.

 

I read somewhere where the tire failures at Indy AND elsewhere were caused by the sidewalls rubbing against bodywork/undertrays. Can someone confirm?

 

Maybe Michelin won't be a tire supplier next year. They've already said to the FIA how upset they are with the 1 supplier rule. They were even thinking about pulling out of the last 3 races of this year.

 

Let them run the oval. Clockwise.

 

Good Morning!

As it turned out it was not the tyre it was team politics. The teams wanted to show the FIA that they had the power and they would make the rules. FIA did not blink thus the teams would not play blaming the tyre. Michelin, to save face and produce an excellent peace of PR, agreed to pay the bill for the refunds. The cost as PR was and is enourmous. You could not ask for any better PR.


Think about it.....

 

I'm sure they look down on Americans as F1 is a European racing style. I think the same thing and have stated so before.

 

Michelin thrown out of F1 in 06...

... that would solve the problem.

 

From what I've read the USGP is still not a sure thing for 2006!

 

The United States Grand Prix will take place Sunday, July 2, 2006 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the seventh consecutive year that the only round of the FIA Formula One World Championship in America will be run at the historic facility.

http://www.usgpindy.com/