Michellin sucks, -ruined the USGP Options

[seanery]

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/finger.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/finger.gif) I can't believe it. WTF. Michellin, in it's 6th year here, can't create a tire that will will finish the race? WTF.

NO FRENCHIE FUCKING TIRES FOR ANY OF MY CARS!!! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/finger.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/finger.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/finger.gif)

[lapuwali]

Erik, regardless of whether Bernie sold the TV rights for a profit or not, he no longer controls them, and appears to have lost control of Mosley. Therefore, he's lost much of whatever control of F1 he used to enjoy.

As for the insurance angle on the chicane, this was never mentioned as a concern. Not only did the teams agree to a chicane, but Tony George and Bernie also agreed. I'm not entirely certain if the FIA even has insurance to indemnify them from action from the teams (only they would sue). The teams and each driver have their own insurance. The legal structure of the FIA basically requires that all teams agree to submit to arbitration, so the lawsuit threat is a pretty minor one.

There is, in fact, at least one precedent for a last-minute track change in adding a temp. chicane: Spa in 1994, at the foot of Eau Rouge. I forget the details of why it was added, but it was very much added at the last minute, and Bernie even brought this up during the discussions. This whole "we can negotiate the rules" business is horseshit, plain and simple.

Michelin wouldn't warrant the tires as safe, and that would have exposed the teams to potential legal action from the drivers (or their estates). No reason was given for the teams not accepting the tire changing offer. I don't accept the "just slow down" offer. That's just absurd. Slow down how much? For how long? No one knew the answer to this. No one really knew how long the tires would last at full speed either, which may be why the teams didn't accept the tire changing offer. Michelin may also have not brought enough tires to change even one left rear 6 times for 14 cars. Indeed, the FIA specifically enjoins the tire makers from bringing "too many" tires. The teams are, after all, only allowed to use two sets during the entire weekend, with two types allow, so four sets of tires per car. They'd already used one set for practice, so even with the extras flown in, Michelin may have only had another 4 sets for each car. We don't know how many they brought in (likely only one set per car, since presumably that would be all they'd need because of the one-tire rule), so even if they HAD accepted the tire changing, it's likely we would have had only 6 finishers, and perhaps a very serious accident or two along the way.

The "due diligence" angle is also invalid. NONE of the teams make test visits to EVERY track. Indeed, they're not ALLOWED to under the limited testing rules. Michelin doesn't make testing visits to all tracks, and neither do Bridgestone.

I don't excuse Michelin. They f-ed up, plain and simple. That's not the issue. The issue was how the FIA responded to an unprecented problem. In my view, they didn't have to bend very far to have a full grid, and the teams bent VERY far to try to make the race happen.