Formula One's governing body has charged the seven teams using Michelin tyres with damaging the sport's image by pulling out of the United States Grand Prix for safety reasons. The FIA, which has summoned the seven teams to a June 29 hearing in Paris, charged each team with a breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code.
The FIA released copies on Tuesday of letters it sent to Renault, McLaren-Mercedes, Toyota, Williams-BMW, BAR-Honda, Sauber and Red Bull, outlining the charges they face.
The charges include: failing to ensure they had a suitable set of tires, wrongfully refusing to allow their cars to start the race, wrongfully refusing to allow their cars to race subject to a speed restriction, and combining with other teams "to make a demonstration damaging to the image of Formula One by pulling into the pits immediately before the start of the race." The teams were also accused of failing to notify stewards of their intention not to race.
Possible sanctions include fines, docked points or even an order to pay compensation.
Michelin provides seven of the 10 F1 teams with tires. Only six cars, using Bridgestone tires, started the race in Indianapolis on Sunday after 14 drivers left the track following the warmup lap. Ferrari's Michael Schumacher won, climbing from his car to a chorus of boos.
The same seven teams were among the nine teams that boycotted meetings called by FIA president Max Mosley in January and April to discuss regulations for the 2008 season. It was unclear whether they'll attend the June 29 meeting.
{{/usCountry}}The same seven teams were among the nine teams that boycotted meetings called by FIA president Max Mosley in January and April to discuss regulations for the 2008 season. It was unclear whether they'll attend the June 29 meeting.
{{/usCountry}}Two Michelin tires failed during Friday's practices, one causing a wreck that prevented Toyota's Ralf Schumacher from competing, prompting Michelin to rule its tires were unsafe for the Indianapolis track.
The future of F1 in the United States remains in doubt. Lawyers for a Colorado fan filed a suit in federal court seeking reimbursement for client Larry Bowers and other ticketholders who they claim were defrauded.