F1 steps back from crisis over US GP
Governing body decided to delay until September any action against the seven teams who failed to start this month's US Grand Prix.
Formula One stepped back from the brink of crisis on Wednesday when the governing body decided to delay until September any action against the seven teams who failed to start this month's US Grand Prix.
The teams, championship leaders Renault, McLaren, Williams, Toyota, Red Bull, Sauber and BAR, had been charged with bringing the sport into disrepute by their actions at the June 19 race in Indianapolis.
Just six cars took part in the ninth round of the championship when Michelin said they could not guarantee the safety of their tyres through the high-speed final banked corner after failures in practice.
After appearing before the International Automobile Federation (FIA)'s world motor sport council in Paris, the teams were found guilty of two of the five specific charges but cleared of the other three.
They were deemed to have failed to ensure they were in possession of suitable tyres, albeit with strong mitigating circumstances, and to have wrongfully refused 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.
"The world motor sport council has decided to adjourn discussion of any penalty to an extraordinary meeting of the WMSC to be held on September 14," the FIA said.
There had been fears that heavy sanctions, such as bans or points deductions, could trigger a boycott of Sunday's French Grand Prix and subsequent races.
The FIA said the September meeting would examine what steps had been taken by teams and Michelin to compensate the fans and repair the damage to the reputation of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the image of Formula One.
It would also consider what steps had been taken to ensure that such an occurrence as June 19 never happened again.
Clearly blaming French tyre producer Michelin for the debacle, Mosley explained that the FIA had no power to impose any sanction on that company.
On Tuesday, Michelin offered to reimburse the 120,000 disgruntled fans at Indianapolis, many of whom walked out in disgust while others threw plastic bottles and cans on the track during the event.
"We are hoping the Michelin teams will make sure that what Michelin has suggested they do is done and not just talked about," said Mosley.
He added that his message to the seven teams was: "If you sort this out (for the fans), we will take a lenient view, if you don't, we might not."
Mosley thought it unlikely that teams would be retrospectively docked world championship points.
"Personally I am very reluctant to do anything with points unless what the person has done affected their sporting performance," he said.
The case of BAR, with a suspended ban already hanging over them after being barred for two races in May for a breach of the weight and fuel regulations, was considered but it was decided that the situation was different this time.
That cleared Briton Jenson Button to race in his home British Grand Prix next week.
"The view of the council was that the two things were so different that it would not be fair to impose the suspended ban," said Mosley.
He warned that the FIA could, however, impose "a series of enormous fines" on the teams with which to compensate fans if it decided not enough had been done when the council met again in September.
Mosley dismissed the suggestion that the French Grand Prix might have been at risk had the teams been punished immediately.