Formula 1
War of words over tyres
Tyres have often been a talking point this year and even though the season is over the bickering continues in regard to the round black rubbery things. Flat-spotted tyres, delaminating tyres, only one set of tyres; the list goes on. The World Motor ...
Published: Oct 30, 2005, 6:37 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Tyres have often been a talking point this year and even though the season is over the bickering continues in regard to the round black rubbery things. Flat-spotted tyres, delaminating tyres, only one set of tyres; the list goes on. The World Motor Sport Commission announced this week that tyre changes during a race will return next season, which has provoked another bout of disagreement.
Michelin tires ready to go.
Photo by xpb.cc.
Some will be happy to see tyre changes back again as the one set of tyres for qualifying and race rule has often been criticized. However, Michelin declared itself to be "perplexed" by the reintroduction of the changes, which it said was "incoherent" with the cost-cutting objects of the FIA. It went on to say that the decision "reveals a lack of technical understanding of the product and of what a tyre really is."
The French manufacturer claimed the decision negated the effects of its research into designing tyres this season. "Michelin, therefore, questions the FIA's hidden motivations for the 2006 F1 regulation," it said in a statement. "Once again, this event illustrates the F1's problems of incoherent decision-making and lack of transparency."
In due course the FIA responded with a statement of its own, in which it claimed the decision to reintroduce tyre changes "was supported by an overwhelming majority of the Formula One Commission members and by a unanimous vote of the FIA World Motor Sport Council."
It concluded: "Michelin are clearly confused, but it is difficult to understand which part of the very basic and entirely democratic voting procedures adopted by the FIA that Michelin is perplexed by. As Michelin themselves point out this is the same regulation as in 2004 when, we must remind them, their tyres ran without problem at Indianapolis."
Perplexing, incoherent, confusing; it sounds like the new qualifying system. This is not the first time the FIA and Michelin have been involved in a war of words, most of the instances this season arising in the aftermath of Indianapolis. Next year the manufacturer will supply only five teams, Renault, McLaren, BAR Honda, BMW and Red Bull, while Williams and Toyota make the switch to Bridgestone.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Bell and White talk reliability
Next article Michelin completes Grand Slam
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
McLaren
McLaren to use final 2026 developments to test 2027 F1 car concepts
Formula 1
Formula 1
McLaren to use final 2026 developments to test 2027 F1 car concepts
McLaren retains Leonardo Fornaroli in F1 as Italian adds WEC programme for 2027
Formula 1
Formula 1
McLaren retains Leonardo Fornaroli in F1 as Italian adds WEC programme for 2027
Latest news
2026 MotoGP Australian Grand Prix – How to watch, session times & more
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Indonesian GP
23 min
2026 MotoGP Australian Grand Prix – How to watch, session times & more
Zane Smith fined $50,000 by NASCAR for ramming Carson Hocevar after Phoenix Cup race
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Phoenix II
7 h
Zane Smith fined $50,000 by NASCAR for ramming Carson Hocevar after Phoenix Cup race
FIA expects F1 races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi to continue as planned
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
12 h
FIA expects F1 races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi to continue as planned
TDS Racing doubles down on IMSA program with two-car LMP2 return
IMSA
IMSA IMSA 12 h
TDS Racing doubles down on IMSA program with two-car LMP2 return
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe