1st Pole

[stevenage_saint]

Having read comments on here I will add my two penneth. I was actually at Indianapolis working on turn 5 and we heard Ricardo Zonta's car pop before hitting the gravel trap at 6 durring Fridays first practice session. We did report it but thought nothing of it at the time.

No information was given to us on Sunday as to what was going on but at 12pm a truck and IMS officials appeard at turn 12 to install a chicaine. They were there for quite some time doing nothing but a chicaine could have been installed very quickly.

Bridgestone WILL have had some knowledge of the new diamond cut on the oval as Firestone raced there 3 weeks earlier.

Michelin had no option but to say dont race as if a tyre had exploded people could have been injured if not killed and then who would get the blame?

The fans vented there anger with IMS, but the IMS had nothing to do with this and were embarissed by the situation.

My personal view is that Michelin acted in the correct way of safety but the teams had 2 days to sort it out and a compromise could have and should have been met but the FIA and some F1 teams held F1 to ransom in a way F1 has not seen since the FISA /FOCA split in 82.

[Bob King]

I feel its time for the FIA president ,Max Mosley to step down, but who would want the job ?

[Scorpion]

Who to blame?

1) Michelin.......coz they should of tested there at some point in time,and should of known about the resurfacing.

2) FIA.....as they refused point blank about installing a chicane.

3) Ferrari.....if they refused to race along with the other teams it would of been judged null and void and this would of forced the FIA into installing the chicane.

The owners of Indianapolis actually agreed to put the chicane in place but was over ruled by Bernie.

I hope those that are suing the FIA are sucessful,after all it is supposed to be the pinnacle of motorsport.

[stevenage_saint]

Scorpion,

Michelin and Bridgestone were both told about the resurfacing but Bridgestone will have had some data about the new surface due to Firestone racing there for the 500 in May.

The FIA or more correctly Max Mosely have a blame too for refusing to put the chichaine.

Ferrari did not (more likely were not invinted) attend any of the meetings and Jean Todt in Autosport says Ferrari would have backed teh FIA anyway.

Bernie did not refuse the chicane, it was according to paul stodart on the minardi website, the threat that the FIA would refuse to sanction any FIA sactioned racing in the USA and would not allow the changing of the circuit at Indy for race. As I said earlier the IMS had a team dispatched ready to build a chicaine at around 12 as it arrived just after teh drivers perade. Bernie wanted to put on a show and from talking to a number of senoir officials at the race they said Bernie and Tony George wanted a show to be put on and wanted to do whatever they could to help michelin runners. Unfortunatly the FIA refused to back down. By doing that they have shown disregard to the sport.