Ferrari pans illegal tyre rumours

AUTOSPORT's sister publication, F1 Racing, ran a story in this month's issue suggesting that harder compound fronts could allow Bridgestone to run its narrower, round-shouldered tyres that are more aerodynamically efficient than the larger, square-shouldered Michelins. The harder compound rubber, it said, would prevent the tyre from falling apart.

It went on to suggest that Michelin had made its suspicions known to the FIA and that a quiet word from the governing body could have been the explanation for the Monaco turn-around. Bridgestone cars took the first three slots in Thursday qualifying in the Principality, but only fifth quickest time on Saturday through Ferrari's Michael Schumacher.

Asked to comment in Montreal, Todt said: "This is very nasty. Sometimes I wonder where people can invent things and who is helping them to speculate. They are unnecessary inventions. And ridiculous.

"Everybody knows that at Monte Carlo the track conditions are very different on the first day and that they change when more rubber goes down. That, as many people have written, is the explanation."