Ups & downs of today's racing (Le Mans and US Grand Prix; includes results)

[JAXRS6]

http://forums.audiworld.com/racing/msgs/38356.phtml

[gjg]

well, Michelin certainly screwed up F1 Indy, problem being that FIA gets all the blame ...

http://www.fia.com/mediacentre/Press_Releases/FIA_Sport/2005/June/190605-02.html

[Nordschleife]

George

My information is that Michelin asked to be allowed to replace all the tyres on their cars for the race because they could not account for the Zonta and R. Schumacher tyre problems and wished to be safe. The FIA refused Michelin's request.

By publishing only the correspondence after this initial exchange, the FIA does not look so bad. There is a known problem with tyres and the present FIA tyre regulations. The FIA makes up rules on the fly, deciding that they are suddenly 'sacrosanct' only suits the FIA and the Ecclestone Empire, if there is actually another game in play.

Regardless of this 'other game', which is about the future of Formula One, one cannot help wondering how the bankers who really own Formula One feel about the Ecclestone/FIA cockup. The cars with the BMW engines did not race, their connection to the bankers in question is very strong.

R+C

[Benman]

Originally posted by Nordschleife
George

My information is that Michelin asked to be allowed to replace all the tyres on their cars for the race because they could not account for the Zonta and R. Schumacher tyre problems and wished to be safe. The FIA refused Michelin's request.

R+C
Michelin did even more than that. Not only did they ask the FIA on FRIDAY to replace the tires (which would have had plenty of time to get there by Sunday), they asked if a compromise of any kind could be made.

They even had spoke to the employees of the Indianapolis Speedway if a chicane could be built. The speedway officials told them "no problem", the Michelin teams said "no problem", heck, even Ferrari had no issues with the request. What did the FIA say?

"Any changing of the track will turn this into a NON sanctioned FIA race" i.e. NO points awarded. So, in effect they told the F1 teams with Michelin tires: "We could care less what happens to your tires, and for that matter all the drivers riding on them, you know the risks, now GET OUT THERE and race anyway".

I greatly appreciated seeing the complete hypocracy of the FIA exposed. They proved right then and there that they don't give a LICK about the drivers safety. If they did, then dang it, let them ship in new tires. If not, then dang it, let them put up the chicane (which EVERYONE else AGREED to!). No instead, they PREACH from the mountain tops, that the tire rules are for "safety" and reduced costs!:rolleyes: The same way they're preaching that the new engine rules are being implemented for "safety" and reduced costs.:rolleyes: Please, did they also mention that the development ALONE of those 2.4L V8s is going to set each team back $50 million+? And that is just for development. And also, who will be getting paid to "inspect and approve" those engines? Yeah, the FIA cares about safety as much as I care about my terds floating in the John right before I FLUSH THEM!

Who I feel most sorry for is the racers who lost BIG TIME in the championship hunt. Kimi and Alonso were SCREWED! Not to mention Toyota FINALLY grabbing a pole only to get JACK FREAKING squat.

I found it refreshing to see a tire company EXCEPTING responsibility for their product (anyone remember the Ford and Firestone scandle), but NO, the FIA wouldn't even let that go unpunished. Instead of rewarding them for their upfrontness and honesty to accept it as their fault and then DO something about it, they acted like 5 year olds and in effect said "YOU spilled the milk and broke the glass all over the floor, I won't help you pick up the mess so that Mom will find out and you'll get in trouble!":bye2:

And trouble is what happened, the fans went NUTS! Wouldn't you? After spending over $200.00 a ticket (which is CHUMP CHANGE compared to the $$$ spent in plane fights, rental cars, and hotels!), you'd want some explanations too!

And again, the fact the Michelin messed up and then GRABBED THEIR GONNIES like REAL men and said, "yes, we messed up, now lets fix this!" showed a lot IMHO. The fact that the FIA acted like @#$% showed VERY MUCH as well.

Wow, that was a long rant. Now for some positive comments on the Le Mans which more than made up for the F1 "race".

Champion Audi becomes the first "American" team in nearly FORTY YEARS to win Le Mans!:applause: And they did it with cars that were actually outclassed in the performance department.

The R8s were DOWN 1 HUNDRED HP over last years cars (and remember, last years cars were DOWN from the year before THAT!). Also, the powers that be of Le Mans decided to give the R8s a 50KG weight penalty. And on TOP OF THAT, the Peskies were allowed to have a fuel tank 10 LITERS larger than the Audis so they wouldn't have to stop as often!

And yet, despite all the rules to make things "fair", who won?:thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

Haha! The R8s finished 1, 3 and 4! And Kristensen makes history! That was priceless! What a way for the R8s to go down in the history books! Hats off to the teams!:applause:

Ben:addict:

[Klint]

Pah, the FIA really flucked up at Indi.

[Audihead]

I was there. They are lucky they didn't have a full scale riot on their hands. I left after 5 laps because the mood was very ugly. I really hope there will be another U.S. Grand Prix. It would be a shame to loose it this way.:doh:

[Benman]

Originally posted by Audihead
I was there.
Audihead,

Sorry to hear about your wasted trip. I know I'd be pretty PO'd about wasting all that $$$ to get there for THAT!:(

Ben:addict:

[freerider]

I saw the F1 race too (on tv). I was really supprised by the way things went. I normally don't watch F1, but when I do something always happens. So was this the first GP in the US? If this is so, that really must have sucked.

Greetz Johan

[Erik]

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=33243 :rolleyes: