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It's official: Michelin seven charged by FIA

As predicted, the Michelin seven have been charged with bringing the sport into disrepute during the Indy fiasco by the FIA.
In a letter sent to all seven of the teams, the FIA declared that at next Wednesday's hearing, they would 'answer charges that, in breach of the above, you committed one or more acts prejudicial to the interests of a competition, namely the 2005 United States Grand Prix and/or to the interests of motor sport'.

The specific charges against the Michelin teams are that they:

- failed to ensure that you had a supply of suitable tyres for the race and/or
- wrongfully refused to all allow your cars to start the race and/or
- wrongfully refused to allow your cars to race, subject to a speed restriction in one corner which was safe for such tyres as you had available and/or
- combined with other teams to make a demonstration damaging to the image of Formula One by pulling into the pits immediately before the start of the race.

'And that you failed to notify the stewards of your intention not to race in breach of article 131 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations.'

It would appear that the FIA are blaming the seven Michelin teams, rather than Michelin themselves, for the debacle, suggesting that the teams should have simply slowed down as they approached the now notorious turn 13.

22/06/05