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Dupasquier Cried at US Fiasco

Michelin motorsport director Pierre Dupasquier said he was in tears at Indianapolis after the seven Formula One teams his company supplies had to withdraw from last month's U.S. Grand Prix

"The start of the race was just unbearable. I went to a corner and I cried for 15 minutes," Dupasquier said after Sunday's French Grand Prix.

The Michelin teams failed to take part in the June 19 race for safety reasons after the French manufacturer advised their tyres could not withstand the final banked corner of the Indianapolis circuit.

Michael Schumacher won the six-car race and FIA president Max Mosley hit out at Michelin, who were held responsible for the fiasco.

The seven Michelin teams had proposed to set up a chicane on turn 13 to slow down the cars and protect the drivers' safety but the FIA rejected the idea.

"When a friend of yours is hurt, you try to help him, you do not take a rifle to shoot him," added Dupasquier.

However, the French Grand Prix came as a relief for the Dupasquier, who saw Michelin-equipped cars take the top two places.

Spain's Championship leader Fernando Alonso won the race with a Renault and Finn Kimi Raikkonen came home second in his McLaren after starting from 13th on the grid.

"This double victory with two different cars, and two different strategies is definitely great," said Dupasquier. "When you see Kimi's achievement, you just admire the performance.

"We are professionals. So we were not worried before this race," he added. "We knew where we were, we knew what we had to do. We are in good shape."

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