Max Mosley, the FIA president, intensified his criticism of Michelin as motor racing’s governing body deferred a decision on what penalties would be given to the seven formula one teams that failed to start the United States Grand Prix.
”I think it doesn’t need me to launch into an attack on Michelin after what we have seen of them and what they can do and their responses over the past 10 days,” he said this week. ”The facts speak for themselves. It is a disastrous performance and the company should be deeply ashamed.”
Mosley added that he was not ruling out the eventual adoption of a single tyre supplier unless Michelin could satisfy the sport’s governing body that it could supply safe and dependable tyres.
The seven teams — McLaren- Mercedes, Renault, Williams-BMW, Sauber, BAR-Honda, Red Bull and Toyota — had been summoned before the FIA’s world motor sports council to answer five charges that they had brought the sport into disrepute.
They were found guilty on two counts: failing to ensure they were in possession of suitable tyres and wrongfully refusing to allow their cars to start the race. They were acquitted of the charges that they had refused to race subject to a speed restriction, of combining to make a demonstration and failing to inform the stewards that they did not intend to start.
Six of the seven teams have lodged appeals against the guilty verdicts. Red Bull, which is expected to switch to Bridgestone tyres in 2006, declined to join them.
Michelin has proposed a compensation package worth $16-million for disappointed spectators. — Â