http://www.formula1.com/news/3777.html Michelin seems pretty mad about the reintroduction to tire changes. What I don't get though is they are complaining about the development cost because the tires will be totally different, but don't they still have all their data from 2004 or did they just throw it out the door when tire changes were banned. Personally I think its the best thing they could have done for the sport. Mark
You wouldn't be pissed if you had to increase R&D costs to develop single race tires and then have that rule gone after just 1 year? Most times what companies spend in R&D are spread over several years and not just one.
I will always remember Michelin's INABILITY to provide SAFE tires for 7 teams at INDY. I guess their R & D DID NOT matter at Indy!??!
They keep changing the goddamned rules every year what do you expect? The FIA doesn't pay for this the tire companies do. Bridgestone had it easy, all they had to do was ONE team and didn't get it right .
They whined when they switched to no tire changes too. If I was a brash person I might say, "what do you expect, they're French." But, we know I'm far from brash, so I wont say that...
They would, wouldn't they after all they have spent a fortune in R&D and having an upperhand on Bridgestone then suddenly rules change. Well they can whine all the want but at the end of the day they just have to get on with it!
well, i agree. not to say all these years the teams were running on 1 tyre sets during races. i'm pretty sure tyre companies still have info and data of all the previous races, say maybe 2004? anyways, switching to 1 set tyre rule per race was proabably the stupidest thing i've ever heard..
Michelin did'nt complain when they changed the rules on Ferrari/Bridgestone, so they should just suck it up and deal with it. At least next year Ferrari will have others testing/using Bridgestone. Anyway, Michelin will pull out of F1 soon.
hmmm... Michelin shod teams came 1st and 2nd in the championship and would also have come 3rd if Ferrari weren't handed free points for the Indy debacle. Also, on track, Bridgestone tires have had nothing for the Michelins this year - they are clearly inferior tires. And IMO if I was a Michelin team I would sure as hell give up one race to be competitive in the other 18 races.
Which raises a good point, I wonder when Michelin took the advantage. ie, I'm not so sure Bridgestone still had the upper hand in 2004. With tire changes, the difference in performance btw M and B could be masked to a large extent. Where one tire was weak (cold, hot, end of a stint, beginning of a stint, wear, etc.) would make less of an impact. The Michelins were always better when cold, the writing may have been on the wall, just obscured by tire changes and a clearly dominant engine/chassis by Ferrari. Something to think about.
They all did just that and what did that get them with the exception of McL & Renault ? 4th place for the year was the best another Mich shod team could produce. If I were Mich team I'd sure as hell be apprehensive about next year where BS has had a better track record during the years when tire changes were allowed. No wonder Mich is whining they were terrific for long life whole race distances as we saw this year but not so terrific when tires could be changed during the race as we've seen in the past.
The only one that's wrong is you as usual . If your company paid a boatload of money to make a dominant tire and you got it right and then the FIA changes the rules on you yet again then you'd be pissed too. The data from 04 is now outdated and probably useless. Plus the cars are all going to be different so there will have to be some sort of development cost for next year. The engines will be less powerful with different powerbands and will wear the rears differently
and that is EXACTLY why the FANS PAY! Pay more for television viewing rights! Pay more for tickets to the show! The fans suffer because the STUPID rules KEEP ON CHANGING!!!!! If you think that Michelin bares all the costs, without passing it on indirectly or directly on to the F1 fans you need to go back to Business 101! Michelin will find ways to minimize their costs and pass on the burned of the costs to the team and eventually the fans!
The discussion is not about Bridgestone. They are the people complaining. They are taking all the rule changes gracefully. MICHELIN are the ones complaing. Learn to read!
You can't say "what did it get them except what it got them". What it got them was the win and the runner up in the WDC and WCC. BS may have had a better track record, but what happened 2 years ago means nothing. Witness Ferraris fall from top dog to just dog. I think Michelins beef has more to do with having spent a lot of $$ and "got it right" and only having one year of that, while BS had multiple years of that. I dont think Ferrari will be back on top next year either though. More teams look to be on BS tires but I still think Ferrari will be fighting for 2nd and 3rd place finishes if they are lucky.
Learn to think for yourself. Bridgestone is saying nothing because the new rules will make them more competive. That's the only reason.
HERE ARE YOUR WORDS! READ... SO HOW IN GODS GREEN EARTH DOES THAT MEAN THAT BRIDGESTONE WILL BE MORE COMPETITIVE AS A RESULT OF THE RULE CHANGES. You said it... the past data is counts for nothing. The new rules start everything from scratch, new engines, new cars... Michelin is whining... Micheline will make the fans pay for it! END OF STORY!
The rules are closer to what they were in 04 when they were dominant. Simple answer. What do you own stock in bridgestone or something, the way you defend them.
FLIP FLOP FLIP FLOP... damm you are worse than Kerry! Make up your mind. IS THE PAST DATA IRRELEVANT OR NOT? IS THE DATA FROM 2004 JUNK OR NOT? If it is GARBAGE then everyone starts from scratch... fair and square! If it is USEFULL then your whole arguement for Michelin complaining is... WORNG WRONG WRONG!!!!!!!!!! YOU SAID Then YOU SAID the data from 04 will help bridgestone.... because the new rules are similar to 04. MAKE UP YOUR MIND.... ARE YOU A DEMOCRAT? FLIP FLOP FLIP FLOP!
Firstly I said probably useless. Can you read? I don't work for either michelin or bridgestone. Hell, it could be totally the same, i'm speculating. I don't pretend to have designed the car like you do. Michelin is complaining because they keep changing the frickin rules every year and evertime they do it costs money. Bridgestone has said nothing, Yay, great for them but why should they, they got thier asses kicked with these rules why should they want to keep them? Secondly they have far less development costs and work that michelin does because michelin supplies most of the field. They have the right to *****. They got it (USGP aside) right this year and the FIA goes and changes the rules yet again. Straight enough for you? Do you need it in smaller words? Use your head, it aint that hard.
That is because the FIA are a bunch of Putzes to begin with. They should have either never have gone to the One Tire Rule or just kept it. Bridgestone was crap all year and got their asses handed to them by Michelin (returning the favor to Bridgestone who kicked their butt the last few years). As far as Indy, it was a farce and it should not be all blamed on Michelin. Only Whining cry babies are blaming it on Michelin as their Beloved Ferrari did get the one and unjustly deserved win in 05. If it wasn't for that farce of a race, Ferrari should not have won even one race this season, third place flattered them.
