In this new series, we are going to tell you shameful moments in the sports. Such as the organisational problems or greatest failures and mishaps. Today, we start with F1’s greatest setback and shame: 2005 United States Grand Prix.
The 2005 Formula 1 season introduced a new rule that restricted drivers to a single set of tyres for qualifying and the race. Bridgestone and its sole frontline user Ferrari struggled to adapt, leaving the Michelin teams – led by McLaren, Renault, Williams and Toyota – to set the pace. But when the F1 circus went to Indianapolis, everything changed…
Friday
The saga began on Friday morning when Toyota third driver Ricardo Zonta spun into the infield after his left rear Michelin went down. This attracted a little attention. The alarms have rung when his Toyota team-mate Ralf Schumacher crashed heavily at turn 13, which is one of the fastest corners of the track.
Toyota’s team principal John Howett said: “They were replaying pictures of the incident, and it looked like the left rear tyre had gone down. We still ran with Jarno in that session and, when Jarno came in there were what looked like vertical cuts in the sidewall of the rear left. So we knew we had a problem, and it was, ‘Why is it us?’ Firstly, Michelin thought that we were running under inflated pressures but it wasn’t about it because we weren’t running even close to that pressure.”
The mystery went on a different direction when other teams started to show danger signs at turn 13.
Michelin called a emergency meeting at that night, to understand and solve the problem. They wanted to see whether it’s a batch issue or something else. Howett claims ” I think even at that time they were fairly sure that those tyres hadn’t been produced from the same moulds or in the same batch. They wanted to verify that and ran tests overnight.”
Saturday
The news coming from Michelin’s Clermont-Ferrand base was not positive at the qualifying morning.
“There was a wave created in the sidewall as you go around the banking. And it was a question of the frequency of that wave relative to the design of the tyre – it’s like those old suspension bridges when the wind blows, and the frequency is right, and they just fall apart.” said Howett reflecting on the issue. Charlie Whiting, the former FIA race controller, said in 2015 “I said, ‘There must be other ways of addressing this? We’re not going to slow the cars down, it wouldn’t be fair to those who brought the right tyres. You need to get some more tyres sent over.’ They came back and said they didn’t have enough. They came to usand said we’ve got too much loading, we’ve got these standing waves on the tyres. The sidewall started to buckle, that’s what the prognosis was. I believe they claimed to have simulated it and found out that’s what it was, flexing of the sidewalls.“
Michelin duly told the teams that precautions should be taken in Saturday’s free practice. John Howett said “”By then they were fairly sure it wasn’t a batch issue. They couldn’t simulate any sort of failure, even at their extreme running. So at that stage they couldn’t tell us a great deal. We were all recommended to run towards the top end of the tyre pressures, and if possible, not do extensive running in practice, and to try to run with lighter fuel, so we were putting less force or less pressure on the tyre.” So on Saturday’s practice session, all the Michelin runners did short runs. Some teams did longer runs and notice a slight mark starting in the sidewall of the tyre.
In qualifying Toyota’s Jarno Trulli took pole position with Kimi Raikkonen in McLaren alongside him. Bridgestone’s sole frontliners Ferrari was 5 & 7, M Schumacher and Barichello respectively. Other Bridgestone runners locked last two rows. Minardi’s and Jordan’s were last.
But tyre problems were continuing to hit Michelin runners and by saturday evening everybody knew there’s a big big problem. It was at a meeting of the Michelin teams that night that the idea of introducing a chicane took hold. A similar thing had been done at the last minute at the 1994 Spanish GP, so team bosses felt that there was a precedent.
Sunday
Come Sunday there was no sign of the chicane or any other solution. The first of many heated meetings that day was quickly convened by Michelin. Legal questions became paramount.
“Bernie came and Charlie came. The Bridgestone teams were invited, but Ferrari didn’t come. Basically the position was that from Charlie’s point of view was that they weren’t prepared to put the chicane in, as it hadn’t been tested, and they considered that it was unsafe. Because a precedent had happened at a previous race in Spain some of the teams were quite excited that this couldn’t happen now.”Flavio was getting hot and bothered, and Ron. The counter proposals from the FIA were they would lift the ban on running one tyre for the whole race, so we could change as much as we wanted during the race. We could tell the drivers to lift through the corner or if your pit limiter could be adjusted. Some of the drivers felt that wasn’t too safe, because you do balance the car a little bit with throttle or whatever even though it’s a banked track.” said Howett.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Tony George said; “I was in meetings with team principals and Formula One Management, listening mainly. I had Max on the phone at one point and there was a whole discussion about what we’re accustomed to, and that’s trying to have the show go on and give the fans what they paid to see. We were ready to do what we needed to do, build the chicane. But ultimately it was decided that wasn’t an acceptable solution. I don’t recall if Bernie had authorised it or not – it was all subject to getting hold of Max, as I recall.”
So, no chicane, no line, no solutions to this unusual problem. Michelin said “If we can’t put chicane, we cannot allow our partners to race. The risks were too high to take.”
Fernando Alonso said: “It was very a strange weekend with the problems of the tyres, many discussions, many meetings in different motorhomes, trying to come to an agreement of racing but maybe not taking the points, or some kind of decision to make everyone happy. In the end it was not possible, which I think was a shame for the people, because the show was affected by that decisionI was fighting with Kimi for the championship, and he was second on the grid I think, and I was sixth. I had this instruction if he goes to the grid, you to the grid, if he goes to the pitlane, you go to the pitlane. We had all agreed to go to the pitlane, but in case Kimi changed his mind at the last moment, I had to do the same! So there was some stress on that formation lap.”
Whiting: “It was pretty awful starting that race. My goodness, the crowd opposite, when I climbed down off the start platform, you should have heard the boos. It was horrendous. I wanted to run inside, but I tried to walk in as dignified a fashion as possible!
“Obviously it wasn’t me they were aiming their boos at, but what really worried me was when they started throwing beer cans onto the track at the first corner. I thought if that gets a hold, we’ll have to stop the race.”
So, at the and of the formation lap, all Michelin runners went into pit-lane and boycotted the race. Six Bridgestone runners, Ferrari’s, Jordan’s and Minardi’s were only cars to race. M Schumacher won from Barichello and Monteiro. Monteiro’s one and only F1 podium came and he became the most successful Portuguese F1 driver ever. Other point scorers were: Karthikeyan, Albers, Friesacher.
This race was F1’s lowest and most shameful race ever. Some say that this years Belgian GP was a disaster, but this Indy GP were something worse than disaster.
