Team Heads Boil Over at Monza over Tyre Row

The row over the legality of Michelin tyres boiled over in the official FIA press conference today as Ferrari's technical director Ross Brawn was caught up in a heated debate with Williams counterpart Patrick Head and McLaren boss Ron Dennis.

Head and Dennis were both critical of Brawn following Ferrari's complaint two weeks ago to the sport's governing body the FIA that the Michelin tyres used by Williams and McLaren were illegal.

The race to the Formula One World Championship boiled over as the team chiefs, who were joined by Renault managing director Flavio Briatore in the press conference, were involved in a slanging match.

Michelin, who have introduced a new front tyre geometry for Monza's race, ended Friday's qualifying session on top through Williams-BMW's Juan Pablo Montoya with Bridgestone-shod Ferrari drivers Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher behind him in second and third.

But the row over tyres, in addition to the prospect of team orders being used to affect the outcome of this year's title race, raged with the three at loggerheads.

"It is very sad, and even sadder if this year's Formula One championship ends up being decided by a casino of retrospective interferences," Head said.

Brawn refused to rule out the possibility of Ferrari protesting past results and responded to Head by saying: "You shouldn't be so paranoid. There is a huge amount of paranoia in Formula One."

Ferrari, World Champions for the last four years, lost their lead in the standings at the last race in Hungary and now trail Williams by eight points. Furthermore, they are just six points ahead of third-placed McLaren.

In the drivers' standings Schumacher has a one-point lead over Montoya, with McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen third a further point adrift with only three Grands Prix remaining including this weekend's Monza showdown.