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Technical Analysis: Michelin at Indy

While the Indianapolis debacle lingers as a political scandal, it was, above all, a technological failure that led to the boycott of seven teams and all that ensued. Craig Scarborough analyses the fundamental problem of the Michelin tyres at the US, and their failing under load on the banked Turn 13

Craig Scarborough Jun 22, 2005, 12:38 PM

Indianapolis is unusual as a Formula One track in that it has a very long high speed corner; many tracks have high speed corners but they rarely last as long as the run through the final turn at Indy.

The corner is approached at high speed from the exit from the infield section and followed by a long run down the main straight. The consequence is that the left rear tyre is pushed into the banking at great speed for several seconds and then run at even greater speed down the straight; this could be the longest and largest load applied to a Formula One tyre on any track. Michelin have raced on the US track many times, and while tyre failures have occurred in the race through wear the failures on Friday were of a very different nature.