AS THE FIA and the Grand Prix teams clash over whether we should end up going to race in Bahrain this season, I will share the darkest day the sport shared in recent times, when politics overcame sport and turned one of the greatest shows in sport into an utter farce. The 2005 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis was the day when Formula One rejected America and many fans walked away in disgust. Here are the events of a dark weekend in its colourful 61-year history.
Formula One arrived in Indianapolis, the capital of the motor racing world for the ninth round of the 2005 world championship. After another dramatic event in Montreal, many were gripped by the intense title battle between young guns Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen. Alonso had a handy championship lead for Renault, but Raikkonen’s victory in the Canadian Grand Prix seven days earlier had put pressure on Fernando, who crashed in Montreal. Any talk of championship potential quickly whittled away when free practice began in America.
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| CHAIN: Dark events took place after Ralf Schumacher's crash |
The weekend looked like it might turn into a bleak one when Toyota test driver Ricardo Zonta spun off the track into the turn four gravel trap, with a right-rear puncture. Surely, this was just a dodgy set of tyres? No, it wasn’t. Moments later, fellow Toyota driver Ralf Schumacher crashed heavily in the turn 13 banked oval, also due to a right-rear tyre failure. Ironically, it was at the same place where Ralf had crashed his Williams in the 2004 event, which forced him to miss six races of the previous campaign. Incredibly, he got out of his battered chassis unharmed, but clearly had been shaken up, and missed the rest of the weekend. With Ralf okay, attention soon turned to how the accident had been caused. Speculation began to rise that the Michelin tyres might not be able to handle the newly resurfaced track on the turn 13 banked oval.
On Saturday morning, Michelin wrote to the FIA, insisting that they did not have total guarantee that the tyres would be able to handle the resurfaced area, unless a speed restriction, such as a chicane was put into place. Meetings were held throughout the weekend between the FIA, team bosses and drivers to discuss the possible solutions that could occur. As Michelin were supplying seven of the ten teams; Toyota, McLaren, Sauber, Renault, Red Bull, BAR and Williams, it was clear that this was a dire situation. Michelin flew over tyre constructions that had been used in May’s Spanish Grand Prix, but they also couldn’t hold up to the turn 13 corner, especially over a full Grand Prix distance. As all drivers in 2005 were required to complete qualifying and the race on just a single set of tyres, this was a big problem. It is believed that the Michelin teams offered the chance to handicap themselves, such as grid penalties, fines for tyre changes and even no points for teams and drivers, just so the fans could see a race spectacle. They all pushed for a temporary chicane to be installed in turn 13 by raceday.
Come race morning, and the chicane had not been built overnight. FIA president Max Mosley insisted that a chicane couldn’t be built, as if a crash occurred on a temporary part of road and injury occurred, an American judge wouldn’t care less about the background and would throw the book at the accused. As ITV (UK), Speed TV (USA), Ten (Australia) and other worldwide broadcasters went on the air to start their race build-up, no-one knew whether a race would take place.
The Michelin teams were furious and until more meetings were held, insisted they would not leave the pits on raceday. Minardi, a Bridgestone shod-team joined the party, and accusations soon pointed in Ferrari’s direction. There were claims that Ferrari felt a significant disadvantage would be handed to them, for having suitable tyres. Bridgestone, only represented by Ferrari, Minardi and Jordan bought a conservative race tyre to Indianapolis, as the Japanese manufacturer understood the risks of potential high tyre wear through the resurfaced turn 13. With twenty minutes to go, before the scheduled 1pm race start, the Michelin teams were given permission to go out to the grid. On the grid, team bosses were still holding discussions, which still suggested that things weren’t right. Even FOM president Bernie Ecclestone didn't seem to know much about what was going on when ITV commentator Martin Brundle pressed him for answers on the grid. After all, with many worldwide sponsors in presence, a huge television audience to please and an expectant crowd at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Formula One was under pressure to deliver.
No-one quite knew what was going to happen as the cars set off on the formation lap, with drivers warming up in a normal procedure. Toyota had taken their first pole position through Jarno Trulli, with Raikkonen alongside him. Alonso had only managed sixth in qualifying, behind Jenson Button, team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella and the first Ferrari of Michael Schumacher. As the cars approached the final corner, Alonso was told by his race engineer the plan for this event; “straight into the pits mate.” Pole man Trulli led the teams with Michelin tyres into the pits. All the Michelin-shod teams were pulling out of the event. A shocked Schumacher led team-mate Rubens Barrichello around onto an empty grid, with only two Jordan’s and two Minardi’s also lining up at the back of the grid. As Schumacher led the six-car farce into turn one, the Michelin teams stood back and watched.
The drivers all wanted to race, and were just as disappointed. Ron Dennis had to restrain Kimi Raikkonen from racing, Jenson Button looked as white as a sheep in the pits, Mark Webber disappeared into his motorhome and didn’t appear for the rest of the afternoon and Juan Pablo Montoya broke down in tears, gutted at not being able to race in an event close to his heart (he won the Indianapolis 500 in 2000.) Other drivers like Felipe Massa didn’t hang around and headed straight for the airport, probably contemplating the following morning’s dismal media headlines. It was a disappointing and shameful conclusion to events. As soon as the Michelin teams headed for the pits, I myself turned off my TV and went off to do some exam revision. Being a massive F1 fan myself, I was devastated, angry, hurt and ashamed to even be associated with a sport where political rows could overtake a sporting spectacle. It took the majority of the rest of the 2005 season for me to forgive Formula One and its higher forces for this shoddy debacle.
For the record, Schumacher went onto win his only race of that season, and all six cars finished. Tiago Montiero became the first Portuguese driver to finish on the podium for Jordan. Many fans didn’t stay around to watch, leaving the circuit in disgust and throwing beer bottles and other pieces of litter onto the circuit. Those actions shouldn’t happen, but their frustration could be shared by millions across the world.
Michelin accepted responsibility and agreed to refund all fans who attended the 2005 United States Grand Prix. They also purchased 15,000 free tickets to give away for the following year’s event. However, their credibility was shattered and they left F1 at the end of the 2006 season. F1’s reputation in America suffered too. The sport returned to Indianapolis for two more seasons, but poor attendances led to its demise from the calendar at the end of its contract in 2007. It will return to a new circuit in Texas next summer.
Formula One has had many scarred days in its past. Few will forget the tragic events of Imola 1994, nor the team orders scandal in Austria 2002, but Indianapolis 2005 will stand out as the day politics and bickering beat sport, in a biggest tyre debacle of the decade.
Let’s hope the sport doesn’t go to Bahrain this October, otherwise we could be set for another dark day in its history.
