Groove armada heading for war?

The start of the 2001 could be marred by an outcry over tyre wear at the end of races, according to Formula 1 tyre bosses

Speaking to Autosport magazine, Michelin competitions boss Pierre Dupasquiere thinks there could be a series of post-race protests at the start of next season due to the FIA's refusal to rule on how much the grooved tyres can be worn down before they are considered illegal. Any controversy over tyre wear would give an extra edge to next year's battle between newcomers Michelin and Bridgestone, the first F1 tyre war since 1998.

"It is not up to us to protest, but our fears could definitely be answered in Melbourne," he said.

The Frenchman asked the FIA in July for a guideline of what is and isn't considered legal, but the sport's governing body believes that teams hold no performance advantage from tyres if the grooves are worn away to form, effectively, a slick tyre. The amount of tyre wear will be dependant on how teams set-up their cars, and Dupasquiere said it was possible that his outfit could offer tyres which would wear to a slick if teams wanted them.

Bridgestone's technical director, Hirohide Hamashima, said: "We have confidence that we can keep the grooves after a race. But it is not our job to protect [the grooves], and it is up to the teams to protest."

Most Michelin users, whose number include Benetton, Jaguar, Prost and Williams, have been pleasantly surprised by the pace of their cars on the new rubber in testing. Bridgestone users, meanwhile, have admitted they feel their rivals could hold an advantage at certain circuits.