The relationship between Formula One and the American public had always been a fragile one. A number of fleeting attempts had been made to woo America in the past but deep down its heart really lay with NASCAR. With F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone producing a bigger bunch of flowers, America finally agreed to enter into a marriage of convenience but the shameful, shambolic events of the 2005 United States Grand Prix may well have brought divorce a step closer.
The cause of the unsavoury episode that made unwanted headlines around the world was the high-banked Turn 13 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the latest home of the US Grand Prix. Taken at 200mph (321.9km/h), Turn 13 is a corner unique to modern F1 racing and one which places such demands on the car that it can create abnormal tyre wear. Alarm bells began ringing on Friday practice when Ralf Schumacher slammed his Toyota into the wall on the Turn 13 banking – exactly the same spot where he had injured his back in the course of the previous year’s race. Left-rear tyre failure was held responsible and, with other teams running on Michelin tyres also suffering accidents during practice, the French company announced that those tyres were unsafe for extended high-speed use on Turn 13. It flew in another set from its Clermont-Ferrand headquarters but, when tested, these had the same problem. Michelin was forced to admit that it could not guarantee the safety of its tyres at Indianapolis. With seven of the ten teams – McLaren, Renault, Williams, Sauber, Toyota, BAR and Red Bull – running on Michelins, the outlook was bleak.
On the morning of the race, Ecclestone and circuit owner Tony George tried to gain approval for a chicane to be inserted at Turn 13, thereby forcing the cars to slow down to a safer speed, but Ferrari – one of the three teams on Bridgestone tyres – refused to entertain the proposition. Furthermore, the FIA rejected any efforts to alter the circuit, even though the Michelin teams had offered to sacrifice all points scored in the race. The FIA stated: ‘To change the course to help some of the teams would be grossly unfair to those teams which have come to Indianapolis with the correct tyres.’
The 120,000 spectators remained largely oblivious to the behind-the-scenes controversy and when all twenty cars lined up on the grid – with Jarno Trulli’s Toyota on pole – it seemed as if they were about to witness a normal Grand Prix. The twenty set off on the usual parade lap, but as they approached the final turn – Turn 13 – the 14 Michelin runners peeled off into the pit lane, leaving just the six Bridgestone cars to start the race. Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher, who had been fifth fastest, now found himself on pole, with team-mate Rubens Barrichello behind. There was then the bizarre spectacle of five empty rows until the Jordans and Minardis made up the numbers.
The crowd responded to the Michelin withdrawal with a chorus of boos. Objects were thrown on to the track and some spectators went home in protest. Several TV stations dropped their coverage. Their viewers didn’t miss much. A field of two Ferraris and, as one observer put it, ‘four cars making a noise’, was never going to make for a gripping spectacle and for probably the first time in F1 history the roar of the engines was drowned out by the dissent from the stands.
The Ferraris were embarrassingly superior to their quartet of rivals from the wrong end of the grid. The only lead changes occurred on lap 26, as Schumacher’s slow pit stop enabled Barrichello to take advantage, and on lap 51, when Schumacher, exiting the pit lane, forced Barrichello onto the grass. After that incident, the Ferrari pair were reminded over their radios not to crash out of the race, and both eased into cruise mode over the remaining 22 laps.
Schumacher went on to record his first win of the season, although it still left him 25 points behind Spain’s Fernando Alonso in the Drivers’ Championship. Barrichello was second with Tiago Monteiro in the Jordan third over a lap behind. It was Monteiro’s first podium finish and the first ever by a Portuguese driver. Try telling him that it was a hollow achievement! For the record, the Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan was fourth in the other Jordan with the Minardi duo of Christijan Albers and Patrick Friesacher fifth and sixth. Unusually for a Grand Prix, there were no retirements, but then this had been no usual Grand Prix.
Even the ultra-competitive Schumacher felt uneasy about the manner of his success and most of the F1 world labelled the proceedings a ‘farce’. As recriminations flew, Ecclestone raged: ‘I’m furious at the stupidity of it all. There should have been a compromise but we could not get one. I tried a million things and thought that if we could get them on the grid we were halfway there. But it did not happen. We were just starting to build a great image in America on TV and with the fans. All that has gone out of the window.’
David Coulthard, whose Red Bull was one of the non-starters, echoed those sentiments. ‘The bottom line is Michelin made a mistake. But after that the FIA had it in their hands to find a solution and ensure we all raced out there. The most important people, the fans, have been forgotten in all of this. It is them I feel sorry for. This is going to leave a long-lasting bitter taste in people’s mouths. Quite frankly, as a driver, I’m embarrassed to be involved in this situation. It’s a very sad day for racing.’
The seven teams who pulled out of the US Grand Prix were initially found guilty by the FIA World Motor Sport Council of failing to ensure they had suitable tyres and of wrongfully refusing to start the race, but the verdict was later overturned.
In a bid to restore public confidence in the brand, Michelin offered to reimburse fans who had bought tickets, but the damage to Formula One’s reputation in America may ultimately prove beyond repair. The divorce lawyers are circling.