lsgworldl
06-20-2005, 11:03 PM
Michelin teams have been ordered to explain their part in the US Grand Prix tyre fiasco at a hearing of Formula One's ruling body later this month.
The hearing is set to take place in Paris on 29 June, the FIA said in a statement on Monday.
All seven teams using Michelin tyres withdrew from Sunday's race after the company admitted problems with them.
Their request for the installation of temporary chicane to reduce speeds was rejected by the FIA.
The six cars which started the race were all on Bridgestone tyres, including eventual winner and Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher.
Team boss Frank Williams said the Michelin teams were willing to race for no points as long as a chicane was added on to the circuit.
Stoddart blames F1 boss for farce
"We would have done anything to race," the Williams boss told BBC Radio Five Live on Monday.
"The Michelin teams offered to race on a modified circuit with a chicane on the 'offending corner'.
"We would have been happy to score no points and start at the back of the grid behind the Bridgestone cars."
Earlier, Michelin officials have vowed to remain in F1 despite the controversy in Indianapolis caused by safety concerns over their tyres.
"We are convinced our decision was a professional one in line with our policy of 100% safety," Michelin said.
"I really don't believe this will affect our F1 future," deputy race director Frederic Henry-Biabaud said.
The problems in Indianapolis came to a head when two Toyotas crashed in free practice on Friday, thought to be as a result of tyre failure.
Michelin checked all their tyres and conducted similar tests in France, concluding that there could be no guarantees of safety.
We are confident our decision will have been understood
Michelin's Frederic Henry-Biabaud
"The investigations are not over yet," Henry-Biabaud continued.
"We are aware that there is a problem but we have not yet precisely identified it.
"It is too early to say what consequences this will have but our partners were very supportive and we are confident our decision will have been understood."
Henry-Biabaud said Michelin had no option but to withdraw.
"Michelin would have been to blame if it had raced. Can you imagine what would have happened if, having seen the failure on Friday, we had decided to race the tyre and we had a problem," he told Europe 1 radio station.
"I prefer, as a company, we find ourselves in this position rather than if there had been an accident."
He blamed the specifics of the Indianapolis track and he hit out at motor racing's governing body, the FIA, for failing to agree to a compromise.
"We proposed realistic, feasible alternatives," he added.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/4110808.stm
The hearing is set to take place in Paris on 29 June, the FIA said in a statement on Monday.
All seven teams using Michelin tyres withdrew from Sunday's race after the company admitted problems with them.
Their request for the installation of temporary chicane to reduce speeds was rejected by the FIA.
The six cars which started the race were all on Bridgestone tyres, including eventual winner and Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher.
Team boss Frank Williams said the Michelin teams were willing to race for no points as long as a chicane was added on to the circuit.
Stoddart blames F1 boss for farce
"We would have done anything to race," the Williams boss told BBC Radio Five Live on Monday.
"The Michelin teams offered to race on a modified circuit with a chicane on the 'offending corner'.
"We would have been happy to score no points and start at the back of the grid behind the Bridgestone cars."
Earlier, Michelin officials have vowed to remain in F1 despite the controversy in Indianapolis caused by safety concerns over their tyres.
"We are convinced our decision was a professional one in line with our policy of 100% safety," Michelin said.
"I really don't believe this will affect our F1 future," deputy race director Frederic Henry-Biabaud said.
The problems in Indianapolis came to a head when two Toyotas crashed in free practice on Friday, thought to be as a result of tyre failure.
Michelin checked all their tyres and conducted similar tests in France, concluding that there could be no guarantees of safety.
We are confident our decision will have been understood
Michelin's Frederic Henry-Biabaud
"The investigations are not over yet," Henry-Biabaud continued.
"We are aware that there is a problem but we have not yet precisely identified it.
"It is too early to say what consequences this will have but our partners were very supportive and we are confident our decision will have been understood."
Henry-Biabaud said Michelin had no option but to withdraw.
"Michelin would have been to blame if it had raced. Can you imagine what would have happened if, having seen the failure on Friday, we had decided to race the tyre and we had a problem," he told Europe 1 radio station.
"I prefer, as a company, we find ourselves in this position rather than if there had been an accident."
He blamed the specifics of the Indianapolis track and he hit out at motor racing's governing body, the FIA, for failing to agree to a compromise.
"We proposed realistic, feasible alternatives," he added.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/4110808.stm