MOTOR SPORT/US Grand Prix: The seven Michelin teams that withdrew from Sunday's chaotic US Grand Prix have been summoned to appear in front of Formula One's governing body.
The cars of Renault, McLaren-Mercedes, BAR-Honda, Toyota, Red Bull Racing, Sauber and Williams-BMW were all driven into the teams' garages in the moments before the start of the race, leaving just six Bridgestone-shod cars on the grid to contest the event.
The teams will now have to appear in front of the sport's regulators in Paris on Wednesday, June 29th, and attempt to explain why they were forced to withdraw from the race after it was found that the tyre specification the company had brought to Indianapolis was unsuited for racing at the 4.192km circuit.
The debacle in Indianapolis began on Friday when Toyota's Ralf Schumacher smashed into the wall at Turn 13. After Saturday's qualifying, Michelin explained its position to the FIA, saying it couldn't guarantee the safety of the tyres used unless speeds at Turn 13 were reduced.
The FIA's response was not what Michelin had hoped for and, by Sunday, the event had exploded into full scale farce as nine teams recommended that to slow the cars a temporary chicane be installed at Turn 13, a request denied by the FIA.
The prospect of a two-car grid of Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello beckoned, but, at the last moment Jordan, on Bridgestone, broke ranks from the nine and said it would race, leading to a similar move by Bridgestone-shod Minardi.
Formula One, which has spent five long and arduous years attempting to establish a fan base in the US, and which had appeared to be succeeding as attendance levels stabilised, has now done irreparable damage to its image and the FIA is not likely to shrink from meting out punishment.
In Indianapolis yesterday, a long queue had formed by 10am outside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with many demanding refunds, a request denied by the circuit.
Hard-pressed staff also manned phones, each repeating the same mantra to disgruntled fans: "No sir, if you wish to, you may contact Michelin, Formula One Management and the FIA. Please hold while I get you the addresses."
Such was the stance of IMS owner Tony George on Sunday night and not much had changed by yesterday morning, though the circuit's president Joie Chitwood issued a statement which gave hope to fans feeling hard done by.
"We will be seriously looking at our position on the response we give in the next couple days as to the event and what's appropriate for us to do," he said. "Obviously, we are as disappointed over this event as anything that we've had in our history."
So disappointed that it was rumoured billboard advertisements were being posted in the city reading: "Yes, we're disappointed too."
Michelin boss Duspasquier was unapologetic. "Anything we have heard so far was more on the side of congratulations for the responsibility, 'you made the right decision' and so on," he said.
"You ruin your reputation if you do stupid things. If you race with a problem in the tyre that could send the drivers in the wall then you ruin your reputation because you are knowledgeable and you are responsible. In this situation we did not have the right tyre for the conditions, but fine, it happens to everyone."
But it could have happened at a more sensitive venue. A similar problem at a more F1-savvy European venue might have been understood, but in the US where sport is all about "the show", the F1 circus which had tried so hard to deliver a big-top experience now merely looks clownish.
