View Full Version : Formula One Implodes
I'm watching the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis and incredibly, only six cars have started the race. The rest have pulled out as a protest over the lack of a chicane being built at a dangerous place. Hard to believe. The crowd is booing. And making rude hand gestures. So much for having Formula One racing in the largest consumer market in the world. There are no stories out yet as it is happening now.
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USA Grand Prix descends into farce
Sunday, June 19, 2005 Posted: 1832 GMT (0232 HKT)
http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2005/SPORT/06/19/usa.grand/story.michelin.ap.jpg
The offending Michelin tire that has been the center of a massive row at the USA Grand Prix.
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- The United States Grand Prix descended into chaos and recrimination on Sunday as only six cars started the race because of safety fears of teams running on Michelin tires.
Seven of the ten teams refused to race because a makeshift chicane was not introduced at the Brickyard which they believe would have solved the problem on the high speed banking.
The sport's governing body, the FIA, ruled out the change - leading to an inevitable and embarrassing boycott.
All the drivers completed the parade lap but then peeled off into the pits, leaving reigning champions Ferrari, Jordan and Minardi racing.
All three teams run on rival Bridgestone tires which apparently had no problems.
Reigning world champion Michael Schumacher and team-mate Rubens Barrichello swiftly occupied the first two positions from their outclassed rivals.
But their domination was being met with little enthusiasm from the crowd who booed and whistled and threw beer cans on to the track.
Original polesitter, Toyota's Jarno Trulli, summed up the feeling of the drivers. "It's a big frustration for the team, for the drivers, Formula One and the fans who are here," said the Italian.
Red Bulls' David Coulthard was equally downbeat. "As a driver I'm embarrassed to be part of this situation. It's a very sad day for the sport," he said.
The controversy arose once Michelin were unable to guarantee the safety orf their tires on the banking unique to the circuit.
Michelin are baffled by the left rear tyre deflations that led to practice crashes on Friday for Toyota drivers Ralf Schumacher and Ricardo Zonta.
Schumacher, who suffered serious injuries with a crash in the same race last year, pulled out of Sunday's race as a precaution to be replaced by Zonta.
The FIA also refused to bend any rules to allow the seven Michelin supplied teams to switch to tyres newly arrived from France after those used in practice and qualifying here were deemed unsafe for the race by the manufacturer.
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/SPORT/06/19/usa.grand/
Yeah whatever.
My sister is in Michigan watching a decent racing series - NASCAR.
Yeah whatever.
My sister is in Michigan watching a decent racing series - NASCAR.
NASCAR? Don't get me started. :]
They're saying that the usual TV audience for a Formula One race is 250 million people. NASCAR? What's that? :]
go_leafs_go02
6-19-05, 6:03 PM
NASCAR is when the driver has to floor the gas petal and hold the wheel in the same position at a slight angle and go around a circle track for a few hundred times.
I personally prefer F1, but watching the race on Radio-Canada (French language CBC) I had no clue what was going on. I just figured it out now what the problem was, and I say good for those teams to boycott the race. The race could have easily been compromised with the chicane in it, but yet the Ferrari team refused.
F1 is done in my mind in the USA. Here in Canada it will remain strong. I see it being in Indianapolis for one more year (which will be dismal at best) and then it will either be cancelled, or moved out west to California or Vegas perhaps.
Formula One is a sham. Let me guess - some Schumacher guy one. What's with that? One driver wins every race? There's plenty of parity in N-A-S-C-A-R, where you rarely have back-to-back driver victories, in both races and Championships. Dynasties are boring.
They're saying that the usual TV audience for a Formula One race is 250 million people.That's nice. F-1 is still no where near being considered 'mainstream.' Whereas NASCAR has surpassed the NHL and NBA for popularity in North America.
NASCAR is when the driver has to floor the gas petal and hold the wheel in the same position at a slight angle and go around a circle track for a few hundred times.Try doing that at Bristol, Darlington, Dover, Martinsville or any other short track for that matter. Sears Point (Sonoma) and Watkins Glen are two road courses, that are much tougher to race a stock car on than an open wheel car.
go_leafs_go02
6-19-05, 7:58 PM
That's nice. F-1 is still no where near being considered 'mainstream.' Whereas NASCAR has surpassed the NHL and NBA for popularity in North America.
Try doing that at Bristol, Darlington, Dover, Martinsville or any other short track for that matter. Sears Point (Sonoma) and Watkins Glen are two road courses, that are much tougher to race a stock car on than an open wheel car.
F-1 not mainstream? depends where you are talking. only the USA is where the Formula 1 Circuit hasn't penetrated, while all around the world elsewhere it is a huge hit. Japan, Europe, Canada, etc. Its a big race, and likely the biggest race of the year in that country.
And my comments about the driving ways of NASCAR aren't to be taken seriously, just a little joke, but i don't care for watching cars go round and round. I would watch a road course NASCAR race if nothing else was on.
F-1 is still no where near being considered 'mainstream.' Whereas NASCAR has surpassed the NHL and NBA for popularity in North America.
I'm a NASCAR guy now.
Yeah right. *eye roll* :]
Saying "F-1 is still no where near being considered 'mainstream' " is like saying football (soccer) is nowhere near being mainstream. True if you live in America. Otherwise untrue. Compared to Formula 1, NASCAR is a quaint fringe sport.
F1 is no where near mainstream in the worlds biggest market audience, that's what JR is alluding to.
It appears that Michelin and the teams that boycotted the race will be left to pay the bills, there are a lot of people screaming for a refund, including the bigheads in Indy. It also appears that Indy is luke warm to the idea of bringing back F1.
Michelin should be directly held responsible as they are charged with bringing the correct tires and they failed. Michelin sucks (http://www.planet-f1.com/news/story_20014.shtml)
Also if you really want to get techinical 99% of racing series in the world drive in circles! some just chose to chink left and right!
F1 is mainstream all over the world, accept the US of A. Can NASCAR make claim to them being mainstream in the US of A AND the rest of the world? I think not. NASCAR is all American, like their Beer ;)
F1 is no where near mainstream in the worlds biggest market audience, that's what JR is alluding to.
Yeah I think I said that.
It appears that Michelin and the teams that boycotted the race will be left to pay the bills, there are a lot of people screaming for a refund, including the bigheads in Indy. It also appears that Indy is luke warm to the idea of bringing back F1.
Michelin should be directly held responsible as they are charged with bringing the correct tires and they failed.
I am completely pissed off. And Michelin is part of the problem but they are not at the top of my sh*tlist.
Also if you really want to get techinical 99% of racing series in the world drive in circles! some just chose to chink left and right!
Not true. If you really want to get technical, we can omit the primitive NASCAR vehicles from the discussion. :]
Michelin is to blame for the casuse of the race being such a waste of time. But out of concern for safty they asked for and should have been given an exemption for the chicane. Saftey and the event going off without a hitch should be ahead of everything, even setting a precident. Everyone dropped the ball.
grimster I never mentioned anything about NA$CAR's so called primitive cars. I said 99% of the series in the world go in circles, it's just that some chose to throw in corners of different angles to spice it up.
Am NA$CAR believe it or not have a lot more veiwers in foriegn countries then some care to admit, granted it's not up to the par of FIFA or F1, but there is a lot of interest in them.
Besides this thread has nothing to do with NA$CAR, this is purely a technical argument about of how trust worthy the F1 tire manufacturers are!
Good thing I put that chicane in the back alley or I would have eventually blown a tire while doing power skids into my parking spot. :D
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