Formula One's Darkest Weekend: United States Grand Prix 2005

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2005 United States Grand Prix
2005 United States Grand Prix (Twitter)

The 2005 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis Circuit stands as one of the most controversial and embarrassing races in Formula 1 history. Incredibly, out of 20 cars, only 6 participated in the race, while the other 14 withdrew due to issues with their Michelin tires.

Only cars from Ferrari, Jordan, and Minardi teams, which used Bridgestone tires, took part in the race. As a result, these six cars essentially had a Sunday morning cruise around Indianapolis Circuit for 73 laps. Even though Michael Schumacher won the race, many considered it an illegitimate victory given the extremely low number of participants.

Starting with Ralf Schumacher’s Incident

Many F1 fans questioned why only 6 cars participated in the race and what actually happened. It all began during Free Practice 2 when Ralf Schumacher of Toyota experienced an incident that would trigger the subsequent events. Michael Schumacher’s younger brother suffered a left rear tire blowout while navigating Indianapolis’ banked turn.

Several other drivers also experienced tire issues at this same corner. However, Ralf’s incident was considered particularly severe and dangerous. This raised questions about why the Michelin tires were experiencing such problems. One of the main factors was that the tires were under significantly more stress when going through Indianapolis’ banked turn.

New Asphalt Spells Disaster

When F1 cars take high-speed turns on banked corners, the load on their tires increases significantly. This shouldn’t have been a problem, as Michelin typically accounts for such factors. However, an unexpected variable emerged: Indianapolis Circuit had recently been repaved with a more aggressive, abrasive surface.

This rougher, more abrasive asphalt created excessive tire stress through the banked corners, leading to tire fragility and multiple tire failures. After these incidents, Michelin launched an immediate investigation. Unfortunately, they couldn’t pinpoint why their tires were becoming so fragile at Indianapolis.

Michelin eventually decided to ship tires with different specifications for the US Grand Prix. However, these new tires still proved problematic, lasting only 10 laps at Indianapolis unless cars significantly reduced their speed through the banked turn. Michelin and Bernie Ecclestone, Formula 1’s CEO at the time, explored various solutions.

The Rejected Chicane Solution

One proposed solution was to install a chicane before the banked corner to reduce car speeds. Almost every team supported this idea, except Ferrari, who stayed out of the discussions. Even Jordan and Minardi, both Bridgestone users at the time, backed the chicane proposal.

Max Mosley, former FIA President
Max Mosley, former FIA President (Reddit)

However, Race Director Charlie Whiting and FIA President Max Mosley rejected the chicane solution. They argued it would violate FIA regulations by altering the track layout. They also felt it would be unfair to Bridgestone users who weren’t experiencing any issues.

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If organizers proceeded with installing the chicane, the Indianapolis race would lose FIA recognition and become a non-championship event - meaning drivers’ points wouldn’t count toward the world championship. Mosley went further, threatening to cancel all FIA-sanctioned races in the US if teams insisted on installing the chicane.

Michelin Teams Withdraw

With time running out and no alternatives available, Michelin teams ultimately decided to withdraw from the race for their drivers’ safety. They couldn’t race through Indianapolis’s banked turn at full speed as it posed too great a risk to their drivers.

McLaren-Mercedes and other Michelin teams participated in the formation lap but pulled into the pits instead of starting the race. Jordan and Minardi, despite using Bridgestone tires, initially refused to race as well. However, after persuasion from Bridgestone and fearing sanctions from Max Mosley, both teams decided to compete.

The United States Grand Prix ultimately started with just six cars. Michael Schumacher won the race, followed by his Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello in second place. Jordan-Toyota’s Tiago Monteiro completed the podium in third. This victory would be Ferrari’s only win in what was otherwise a declining season for them.

F1 Fans Blame FIA

While Michelin was undeniably at fault for failing to provide safe tires to participating teams, the FIA faced the harshest criticism for not finding a solution that would have allowed all 20 drivers to race and give spectators a proper show.

Instead, the FIA played the blame game, pointing fingers at Michelin and seemingly shirking their responsibility. As a result, many racing enthusiasts still consider the 2005 US Grand Prix the most embarrassing race in F1 history, highlighting the poor leadership within the FIA.

The FIA’s response after the race left the public bewildered. They summoned the seven Michelin-equipped teams that withdrew and penalized them for allegedly damaging F1 and FIA’s global reputation. These penalties were eventually dropped since the teams genuinely had no choice but to withdraw.

Teams Had No Alternative

Podium of the 2005 US Grand Prix
Podium of the 2005 US Grand Prix (Reddit)

Had the Michelin-equipped F1 teams risked racing, they could have faced criminal charges under Indiana state law for knowingly endangering their drivers’ lives. In other words, these teams truly had no option but to withdraw from the 2005 US Grand Prix for the safety of both teams and drivers.

Michelin took responsibility by offering compensation. They refunded partial ticket costs via checks and provided 20,000 free tickets for the 2006 race at the same venue. The embarrassing Indianapolis debacle damaged Michelin’s reputation so severely that they decided to exit F1 in 2006.

The US Grand Prix also suffered in the aftermath of the 2005 race. Ticket sales steadily declined until Bernie Ecclestone decided not to renew F1’s Indianapolis contract in 2007, ending an eight-year run at the venue. Formula 1 wouldn’t return to America until 2012, this time at a different venue - the Circuit of the Americas (COTA).

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