[F1 US GP]- 6 Runners!

[Jon]

Lawyers for a Colorado fan have filed a suit in federal court seeking reimbursement for client Larry Bowers and other ticketholders. They claim they were defrauded after only six cars took part in the Formula One race yesterday

Only in America. How sad. Do you really have to take the slightlest annoyance to court? Sh*t happens, move on.

[sachleen]

so there are only 6 cars in this race. WTF is that? :angry:

[DreAming in DigITal]

Only in America. How sad. Do you really have to take the slightlest annoyance to court? Sh*t happens, move on.

You fail to realize that America isn't like England or Europe...You can't drive from one side of of our country to the other in a couple hours. It would be like someone from Portugal trying to go to Germany for a race. People who live 13-16 hours away have to buy tickets to the race, plane tickets, hotel tickets, etc...

[+unabatedshagie Subscriber¹]

Technically all the drivers did start the race, the parade lap counts as one lap of the race. It just happens that after one lap 14 drivers retired. I don't see how they can sue. Just because all the drivers retired on the same lap, would they have sued if at the end of the race only 8 drivers had managed to finish the race due to engine failures, crashes etc?

[h00nta]

Another take on this:

http://www.itv-f1.com/Feature.aspx?Type=Ja...len&PO_ID=33214

[bayrider]

im sure some of u who have never been to a race do not know how expensive it is to actually go to a race, unless its in your city... even then, a decent ticket costs an arm and a leg

[DouglasLWarren]

F-1 wants Michelin to compensate fans

Associated Press

PARIS ? The president of Formula One?s governing body thinks Michelin should compensate fans who bought tickets for the United States Grand Prix fiasco.

?My personal view is that Michelin should offer to compensate the fans on a fair basis,? Max Mosley said today in a FIA statement. ?Anyone who had a ticket this year would be entitled to the same ticket free of charge next year.?

FIA has already accused the seven teams using Michelin tires of damaging the sport?s image by pulling out of the June 19 grand prix at Indianapolis.

FIA summoned the seven to a June 29 hearing in Paris, charging them with a breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code.

French company Michelin provides seven of the 10 F-1 teams with tires.

Only six cars ? using Bridgestone tires ? started the race after 14 drivers left the track following the warm-up lap.

Michelin unsuccessfully asked FIA to ease its rule prohibiting teams from changing tires after qualifying. FIA also refused to consider installing a curve that Michelin said would slow speeds and make the track safer for its tires. Michelin then advised its teams not to compete.

Mosley defended the decision not to allow the chicane.

?It would have been unfair, against the rules and potentially dangerous,? Mosley said. ?To radically change a circuit like Indianapolis ... would be a disadvantage to the teams which had brought correct equipment to the race.

?Why should the Bridgestone teams suddenly find they had gone all the way to America to run in a non-Championship race,? Mosley added. ?It would be like saying there could be no medals in the Olympic rowing because some countries had brought the wrong boats.?

Mosley did not reveal further details of the June 29 hearing.

?We will listen carefully to what all the teams have to say. There are two sides to every story,? he said.

SOURCE

[Kr0z]

I think Bernie Ecclestone should return the money from ticket sales to the fans that attended the race.

Secondly, Bernie Ecclestone should sue Michelin for the losses.

[Jerichohol]

im sure some of u who have never been to a race do not know how expensive it is to actually go to a race, unless its in your city... even then, a decent ticket costs an arm and a leg

586103283[/snapback]

Agreed but this whole situation could have been avoided if they had just put the chicane up, everyone would have been ok with that. Yeah I know how expensive it is, They were interviewing some fans who said they came as far away as Mexico and Florida, I would also be quite ****ed off.

They are saying it is Max Mosley's fault, well someone has to take the fall, I know Michelin will be fined but someone at the FIA should also be sacked.

[profets]

FIA is to blame to be honest, when Michelin saw what was the problem saturday with their tire, they propose an alternative (the chicane) but FIA turn it down, saying that if they need to slow down, the pilot should do it on his own and if the Michelin tire need to be replace more often, then they will have to do so.  Michelin already said that their tire will not last more then ~10 round with the current configuration and it's a danger to the pilot to run with it.  One of the 3 alternative propose was to bring Barcelone configured tire to USA track, something that couldn't be done, since the qualification was already in process and it's against one of the FIA rule.  Not to forgot that the last propose alternative by Michelin was backup by 9 out of 10 team and in an URGENT reunion between pilot all agreed for the chicane and also said that all the team running on Michelin was to loose their point for the current race.

586088534[/snapback]

FIA is to blame? the problem is SOLELY Michelin's. its one thing if their primary tires are a soft high performance rubber which may not be safe, but its another when they dont have the proper backups which are listed in the regulations of the sport.

why should a chicane have been installed? the bridgestone tires had no problem. bridgestone seemed to be inferior for a few years, and now that they finally had an advantage, it would have been clearly unfair to change the track to accomodate the teams who did not have proper tires

[pimpshiznid]

Michelin To Refund U.S. Grand Prix Ticketholders

INDIANAPOLIS -- The tire company at the center of a controversy that saw 14 drivers pull out of the June 19 U.S. Grand Prix in Indianapolis says it plans to refund ticketholders and offer some of them tickets to next year's race

In a statement on its corporate and motorsports Web sites Tuesday, Michelin said it regretted that the public was "deprived of an exciting race."

"Michelin ... therefore wishes to be the first among the different groups involved in the Indianapolis race to make a strong gesture towards the spectators," the statement said.

Michelin said it would offer refunds to the people who were at the race last week. Also, Michelin will offer to buy tickets for the 2006 U.S. Grand Prix for 20,000 of them.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which hosted the race, said it is formulating a plan on how to distribute the refunds.

"The most important thing to take from the press release issued by Michelin today is that the fans are finally being considered by the Formula One community, and that's all we've hoped for since the running of the race," said Ron Green, the speedway's public relations director.

Michelin's announcement comes about a week after the president of Formula One's governing body, FIA, said Michelin should compensate fans who bought tickets to this year's race.

Only six cars -- using Bridgestone tires -- started the race after 14 drivers left the track following the warmup lap.

Michelin, concerned that its tires wouldn't be safe on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway course, had unsuccessfully asked FIA to ease its rule prohibiting teams from changing tires after qualifying. FIA also refused to consider installing a curve that Michelin said would slow speeds and make the track safer for its tires. Michelin then advised its teams not to compete.

Attorney: Michelin Gesture Not Enough

An Indianapolis attorney who filed what he hopes will be a class-action lawsuit against Michelin said compensation should go beyond tickets.

The attorney, Bill Bock, filed a federal lawsuit last week on behalf of a Colorado man who had a ticket to the June 19 race. The suit seeks attendee reimbursement including ticket price and travel expenses.

Bock told RTV6 Tuesday that he commends Michelin for its prompt action, but he believes more needs to be done.

"Michelin hasn't done everything that they need to do to fully compensate the ticketholders," Bock said. "Obviously part of the damages were the price of the ticket, but the damages go beyond that and include all of the expenses that were incurred for people to attend the race."

Michelin Blasts FIA For Rejecting Proposed Race Solutions

In its statement, Michelin said it was unacceptable that its partner teams were accused by FIA of having boycotted the U.S. Grand Prix.

"The reality is that together, Michelin and its partners have done everything possible to assure that the race could take place in total safety," the statement said.

FIA has summoned teams using Michelin tires to a Wednesday hearing in Paris, charging them with a breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code.

Michelin said FIA on June 19 had "all the means necessary to preserve the interest of the race."

"And yet, the sporting authority rejected the proposed solutions. Why? In our view this is totally incomprehensible and reflects a lack of respect for the spectators," the statement said.

Source: The Indy Channel

It's nice to see that they are going to refund the ticket holders and give 20,000 people who attended tickets, free of charge, to next year.