FIA: No Penalty for Teams, for Now
The seven Michelin teams have been found guilty on two of their five charges of damaging Formula One over the United States Grand Prix tyre fiasco, but must wait until September to find out what their penalty will be
FIA president Max Mosley told a press conference in Paris on Wednesday, following a hearing of the FIA World Motor Sport Council, that the teams were guilty of not being in possession of suitable tyres and wrongfully refusing to start the race.
The teams were exonerated of charges of refusing to race subject to a speed limit, conspiring to make a demonstration by stopping after the parade lap and of not telling the race stewards.
Despite the decision of the FIA, however, Mosley claimed that the World Motor Sport Council wanted to wait until an extraordinary meeting on September 14 before making a judgement on the punishment for the teams.
Mosley said: "The WMSC decided to adjourn discussion of penalty to an extraordinary meeting, when it will be seen what steps have been taken to compensate the fans.
"And also what steps have been taken by the Michelin teams to make sure nothing like this ever happens again. The final decision will then be made after that."
Despite the FIA's intense criticisms of Michelin, the French tyre manufacturer cannot be punished because it is not an official competitor in F1 - only a supplier.
Mosley added: "The difficulty is the FIA has no relationship with the Michelin tyre company, so we are in no position to impose a penalty on Michelin.
"Judging from what we heard from the teams they would have found themselves in a very difficult position."
Full Statement from the FIA
Following today's hearing in Paris the FIA World Motor Sport Council has found the seven Michelin teams:
- guilty of failing to ensure that they were in possession of suitable tyres for the 2005 US Grand Prix; but with strong, mitigating circumstances;
- guilty of wrongfully refusing to allow their cars to start the race, having regard to their right to use the pit lane on each lap;
- not guilty of refusing to race subject to a speed restriction, having regard to the absence of any detailed plan for this;
- not guilty of combining to make a demonstration for the reason that they had hoped to race until the last minute;
- not guilty of failing to inform the Stewards of their intention not to start (Article 131) for the same reason.
The World Motor Sport Council has decided to adjourn discussion of any penalty to an extraordinary meeting of the WMSC to be held on 14 September 2005, when the WMSC will also examine:
- what steps have been taken by the seven Michelin teams and/or their tyre supplier to compensate the Formula One fans and repair the damage to the reputation of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and to the image of Formula One;
- what steps have been taken by the Michelin teams to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.
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