FRANCE: MOTOR RACING - FIA PRESS CONFERENCE IN PARIS FIND SEVEN FORMULA ONE GRAND PRIX TEAMS GUILTY OVER INDIANAPOLIS TYRE DECISION.

Record ID: 647038

  • Title: FRANCE: MOTOR RACING - FIA PRESS CONFERENCE IN PARIS FIND SEVEN FORMULA ONE GRAND PRIX TEAMS GUILTY OVER INDIANAPOLIS TYRE DECISION.
  • Date: 29th June 2005
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JUNE 29, 2005) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. EXTERIOR OF FIA (INTERNATIONAL AUTOMOBILE FEDERATION) HEADQUARTERS 2. CLOSE OF FIA SIGN 3. RON DENNIS OF MCLAREN ARRIVING ARRIVING AT THE FIA HEADQUARTERS 4. NICK FRY, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF BAR FORMULA ONE TEAM, ARRIVING AT THE FIA HEADQUARTERS 5. DELEGATE ARRIVING AT THE FIA HEADQUARTERS 6. JEAN TODT, FERRARI BOSS, ARRIVING AT FIA HEADQUARTERS, SEEN FROM BEHIND 7. BERNIE ECCLESTONE, HEAD OF FORMULA ONE ADMINISTRATION, ARRIVING AT FIA HEADQUARTERS 8. ECCLESTONE WALKING INSIDE THE BUILDING 9. INTERIOR, ARRIVAL OF FIA PRESIDENT, MAX MOSLEY, AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE AND GOING TO THE LECTERN 10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF THE FIA (INTERNATIONAL AUTOMOBILE FEDERATION), MAX MOSLEY, SAYING: "As you know there were five charges against the teams. The first was failing to ensure they were in possession of suitable tyres for the 2005 United States Grand Prix and they were found guilty of that, but with strong mitigating circumstances. The second thing was that they were accused of wrongfully allowing the cars, wrongfully refusing to allow their cars to start the race and they were found guilty of that as well, on the grounds that they could have used the pit lane" 11. MOSLEY STANDING AT THE LECTERN SURROUNDED BY JOURNALISTS 12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF THE FIA (INTERNATIONAL AUTOMOBILE FEDERATION), MAX MOSLEY, SAYING: "Michelin should compensate the fans and also that the fans should get free tickets next year and they've gone some way towards doing that, but by delaying as long as they have, they've done damage. It was one of those situations where we needed a rection in two days and not in 10 days" 13. PAN FROM NEWS CONFERENCE TO MOSLEY AT PODIUM 14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF THE FIA (INTERNATIONAL AUTOMOBILE FEDERATION), MAX MOSLEY, SAYING: "I'm not an expert on these things, but I think it's fairly evident that what happened in Indianapolis did great damage to Formula One worldwide, but particularly in the United States and that needs to be put right. Of course the sooner that people start to behave properly, for example to refund the tickets and to offer free tickets next year, the better the situation becomes. But I don't think we'll know for another two or three months really what damage has been done" 15. MOSLEY AT LECTERN SURROUNDED BY JOURNALISTS 16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF THE FIA (INTERNATIONAL AUTOMOBILE FEDERATION), MAX MOSLEY, SAYING: "I couldn't agree that nothing's happened because what we've said is that in the first instance two things have got to happen. This has got to be sorted out with the fans and we've got to have proposals why this is never going to happen again, steps for making sure it never happens again. That couldn't be done today, by any stretch, but it could be and should be done by the end of September, that is why we've given them until then. It would be unfair to impose a severe penalty today on the evidence that we had. On the other hand, if nothing is done to make sure this doesn't happen again and the fans are not compensated, it would be entirely fair to impose a heavy penalty. As we didn't have the information to decide on, which of those two courses to take, if either, the only thing to do was to postpone it to a future meeting" 17. MOSLEY WALKING AWAY FROM THE LECTERN Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 14th July 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Reuters ID: LVA5GDIIHL7L0125KBTNHHRLR6LF
  • Story Text: Seven F1 teams that dropped out of U.S. Grand Prix
    found guilty of failing to ensure they were in possession
    of suitable tyres.




    The seven teams using Michelin tyres who failed to
    start the U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis earlier this
    month were found guilty by the FIA (International
    Automobile Federation) on two of five charges they faced at
    a hearing on Wednesday (June 29) at the FIA's headquarters
    in Paris.

    They were cleared of the other three. The FIA said they
    had decided to adjourn discussion of any penalties until an
    extraordinary meeting on September 14.

    Six of the seven -- championship leaders Renault,
    McLaren, Williams, Toyota, Sauber and BAR -- jointly
    announced an appeal against the guilty decisions; there was
    no immediateword from Red Bull.

    The President of the FIA, Max Mosley, stated at a news
    conference that the teams were found guilty of failing to
    ensure they were in possession of suitable tyres for the
    June 19 Grand Prix, but with strong mitigating
    circumstances.

    "As you know there were five charges against the teams.

    The first was failing to ensure they were in possession of
    suitable tyres for the 2005 United States Grand Prix, and
    they were found guilty of that but with strong mitigating
    circumstances. The second thing was that they were accused
    of wrongfully allowing the cars, wrongfully refusing to
    allow their cars to start the race, and they were found
    guilty of that aswell, on the grounds that they could have
    used the pit lane."
    The seven were also found guilty by the world governing
    body of wrongfully refusing to allow their cars to start
    the race.

    They were cleared of refusing to race subject to a
    speed restriction, combining to make a demonstration and
    failing to inform the stewards of their intention not to
    start.

    Michelin, whose failure to provide appropriate tyres
    for the track conditions to the seven teams which led to
    the boycott on safety grounds, will not be subject to any
    sanctions.

    "Michelin should compensate the fans and also that the
    fans should get free tickets next year and they've gone
    some way towards doing that, but by delaying as long as
    they have, they've done damage. It was one of those
    situations where we needed a rection in two days and not in
    ten days." FIA president Max Mosley told reporters.

    On Tuesday, Michelin offered to reimburse disgruntled
    fans at Indianapolis, many of whom walked out in disgust
    when only six cars representing three teams who were using
    another brand of tyres contested the grand prix.

    Mosley stated that damage had been done to Formula One
    by the US grand prix: "I think it's fairly evident that
    what happened in Indianapolis did great damage to Formula
    One worldwide, but particularly in the United States and
    that needs to be put right." He added that reimbursing fans
    and offering free tickets for the 2006 US grand prix would
    go some way towards improving the situation.

    Mosley thought it unlikely that teams be
    retrospectively docked world championship points.

    Mosley disagreed that no real verdict had been reached
    at the meeting, and said the teams had been given time
    until September to come up with a proposal to prevent such
    an event happening again.

    "I couldn't agree that nothing's happened because what
    we've said is that in the first instance two things have
    got to happen. This has got to be sorted out with the fans
    and we've got have proposals why this is never going to
    happen again, steps for making sure it never happens again.

    That couldn't be done today, by any stretch, but it could
    be and should be done by the end of September, that is why
    we've given them until then. It would be unfair to impose a
    severe penalty today on the evidence that we had. On the
    other hand, if nothing is done to make sure this doesn't
    happen again and the fans are not compensated, it would be
    entirely fair to impose a heavy penalty. As we didn't have
    the information to decide on, which of those two courses to
    take, if either, the only thing to do was to postpone it to
    a future meeting." Formula One had already faced an uncertain
    future in
    the USA, where it has traditionally played second fiddle to
    other forms of motor sport, including NASCAR.


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