gaijin
06-30-2005, 12:52 AM
Michelin to refund American fans
Byron Young
Magny Cours
30jun05
FANS will receive a $30 million refund for the US Grand Prix debacle, the first time compensation has been paid on such a scale in the sport's 55-year history.
Tyre supplier Michelin has promised to repay the 120,000 fans who bought tickets for the six-car fiasco in Indianapolis on June 19.
It also offered to fund the $5 million bill to buy tickets for another 20,000 fans for next year's race, in an effort to repair the damage to the sport's reputation.
All seven teams on Michelin rubber were forced to pull out of the ninth round of the world championship on safety grounds because of faulty tyres.
"Michelin deeply regrets that the public was deprived of an exciting race," the company said. "It wishes to be the first, among the different groups involved in the Indianapolis race, to make a strong gesture towards spectators."
The move comes a day before the seven teams, including Mark Webber's Williams outfit, appear today before the Motor Sport World Council, in Paris, France to explain their actions.
The teams refused to race after a Michelin warning in Indianapolis that it could not guarantee the safety of its tyres, following Ralf Schumacher's 290km/h smash in Friday practice on Indy's banked final bend. Replacement rubber flown to the US was also unusable.
FIA president Max Mosley refused to consider installing a chicane in the danger spot, a high-speed banked bend, or that the seven teams race for fans without taking points.
The 14 Michelin-shod cars completed a warm-up lap before pulling into the pits and boycotting the start.
There was talk of a repeat boycott if the Paris punishments proved too draconian. But yesterday Michelin's olive branch took the heat out of emotions on both sides.
"This is an important decision, since Michelin is not at all legally bound to do this," the company said.
The gesture is likely to reduce the risk of the teams -- championship leader Renault, McLaren, Williams, Toyota, Sauber, Red Bull and BAR -- from being heavily sanctioned.
However, the tyre company remains critical of the governing body's response to the tyre crisis.
Byron Young
Magny Cours
30jun05
FANS will receive a $30 million refund for the US Grand Prix debacle, the first time compensation has been paid on such a scale in the sport's 55-year history.
Tyre supplier Michelin has promised to repay the 120,000 fans who bought tickets for the six-car fiasco in Indianapolis on June 19.
It also offered to fund the $5 million bill to buy tickets for another 20,000 fans for next year's race, in an effort to repair the damage to the sport's reputation.
All seven teams on Michelin rubber were forced to pull out of the ninth round of the world championship on safety grounds because of faulty tyres.
"Michelin deeply regrets that the public was deprived of an exciting race," the company said. "It wishes to be the first, among the different groups involved in the Indianapolis race, to make a strong gesture towards spectators."
The move comes a day before the seven teams, including Mark Webber's Williams outfit, appear today before the Motor Sport World Council, in Paris, France to explain their actions.
The teams refused to race after a Michelin warning in Indianapolis that it could not guarantee the safety of its tyres, following Ralf Schumacher's 290km/h smash in Friday practice on Indy's banked final bend. Replacement rubber flown to the US was also unusable.
FIA president Max Mosley refused to consider installing a chicane in the danger spot, a high-speed banked bend, or that the seven teams race for fans without taking points.
The 14 Michelin-shod cars completed a warm-up lap before pulling into the pits and boycotting the start.
There was talk of a repeat boycott if the Paris punishments proved too draconian. But yesterday Michelin's olive branch took the heat out of emotions on both sides.
"This is an important decision, since Michelin is not at all legally bound to do this," the company said.
The gesture is likely to reduce the risk of the teams -- championship leader Renault, McLaren, Williams, Toyota, Sauber, Red Bull and BAR -- from being heavily sanctioned.
However, the tyre company remains critical of the governing body's response to the tyre crisis.