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Hi all,

Just thought you might like an insiders view as opposed to the viewers view!

The process went as follows:

Michelin and their teams test their tyres as they have done for years to pick the optimum tyre (the same is true for BS tyres). And as all teams use basically the same process it could have happened to BS teams instead of Mi teams.

We turn up at the track and find some problems with the tyres that after some analysis show that they are not safe to race. Michelin sends a letter to each of the teams so we have no alternative but to not race as we normally would.

Every interested party tries to negotiate a solution and fails. All having pretty major drawbacks.

Any race that has cars at very different speeds is very dangerous so running around the bend at a lower speeds is not really an option. More importantly Michelin could not specify a safe speed for that bend. If they had then each driver would go faster and faster until a tyre failure occured as they are racers.

Therefore all cars need to be slowed down during the race to race together in some measure of safety.

Please note RSC's accident last year should make it clear that motorsports are dangerous!

Going in to the pits every 3 laps for so many cars is again dangerous for the pit crews etc Also we don't know that the failure would occur only after 3 laps. So again not an acceptable option.

Therefore the chicane was suggested. Not only because it reduced the speed but more importantly changed the loading regime completely.

The issue of MI shod runners taking out BS runners is of course possible but very unlikely as they are all professional teams. All of this could have been negotiated I am sure.

But ultimately we had to put on a show and we (FIA, Michelin and the Michelin teams) failed.

Ian

<blockquote data-quote="Ian Wright" data-source="post: 610247" data-attributes="member: 1300">Hi all,Just thought you might like an insiders view as opposed to the viewers view!The process went as follows:Michelin and their teams test their tyres as they have done for years to pick the optimum tyre (the same is true for BS tyres). And as all teams use basically the same process it could have happened to BS teams instead of Mi teams.We turn up at the track and find some problems with the tyres that after some analysis show that they are not safe to race. Michelin sends a letter to each of the teams so we have no alternative but to not race as we normally would. Every interested party tries to negotiate a solution and fails. All having pretty major drawbacks.Any race that has cars at very different speeds is very dangerous so running around the bend at a lower speeds is not really an option. More importantly Michelin could not specify a safe speed for that bend. If they had then each driver would go faster and faster until a tyre failure occured as they are racers.Therefore all cars need to be slowed down during the race to race together in some measure of safety. Please note RSC's accident last year should make it clear that motorsports are dangerous!Going in to the pits every 3 laps for so many cars is again dangerous for the pit crews etc Also we don't know that the failure would occur only after 3 laps. So again not an acceptable option. Therefore the chicane was suggested. Not only because it reduced the speed but more importantly changed the loading regime completely.The issue of MI shod runners taking out BS runners is of course possible but very unlikely as they are all professional teams. All of this could have been negotiated I am sure.But ultimately we had to put on a show and we (FIA, Michelin and the Michelin teams) failed.Ian</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Ian Wright, post: 610247, member: 1300"] Hi all, Just thought you might like an insiders view as opposed to the viewers view! The process went as follows: Michelin and their teams test their tyres as they have done for years to pick the optimum tyre (the same is true for BS tyres). And as all teams use basically the same process it could have happened to BS teams instead of Mi teams. We turn up at the track and find some problems with the tyres that after some analysis show that they are not safe to race. Michelin sends a letter to each of the teams so we have no alternative but to not race as we normally would. Every interested party tries to negotiate a solution and fails. All having pretty major drawbacks. Any race that has cars at very different speeds is very dangerous so running around the bend at a lower speeds is not really an option. More importantly Michelin could not specify a safe speed for that bend. If they had then each driver would go faster and faster until a tyre failure occured as they are racers. Therefore all cars need to be slowed down during the race to race together in some measure of safety. Please note RSC's accident last year should make it clear that motorsports are dangerous! Going in to the pits every 3 laps for so many cars is again dangerous for the pit crews etc Also we don't know that the failure would occur only after 3 laps. So again not an acceptable option. Therefore the chicane was suggested. Not only because it reduced the speed but more importantly changed the loading regime completely. The issue of MI shod runners taking out BS runners is of course possible but very unlikely as they are all professional teams. All of this could have been negotiated I am sure. But ultimately we had to put on a show and we (FIA, Michelin and the Michelin teams) failed. Ian [/QUOTE]

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