Michael Schumacher climbed from his car to a chorus of boos, the die-hard Formula One fans unable to accept his first victory of the season after more than two-thirds of the field quit in protest over tire safety.
Sparking a fiasco at the United States Grand Prix on Sunday, Michelin advised the 14 cars it supplies that its tires were unsafe for the final banked turn at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
So unable to forge a compromise, all 14 Michelin teams ducked off the track after the warmup lap, leaving Schumacher and the five other drivers who use Bridgestone tires to race among themselves.
PHOTO: AFP
Fans headed for the exits in disgust, drivers were left bewildered, and track officials joined team members in speaking afterward as if the United States GP itself is in jeopardy.
Schumacher returned to the podium, but there was no champagne toast for the Ferrari team.
"Bit of a strange Grand Prix," the reigning world champion said. "Not the right way to win my first one this year."
PHOTO: EPA
When an agreement couldn't be reached over the use of fresh tires or the placement of a chicane to slow the cars going into turn 13, the Michelin teams pulled off the track and parked in a unified protest.
"I feel terrible. I have a sick feeling in my stomach," David Coulthard said after pulling out of the race. "I am embarrassed to be a part of this."
The situation created a farce of a race for F1, the world's most popular series. And it couldn't have happened at a worse venue: The series is already struggling to build an American fan base, and Indy officials were left unsure of the event's future.
"Undoubtedly, this sets us back in all of our efforts or all of the gains we've made in introducing this sport to America," said Joie Chitwood, the track president. He declined to speculate on if the race would be back at Indy next season.
But even the Ferrari team, which finally scored its first win of the season, acknowledged that the series' future in the US is in trouble.
"I wish we can come back to the States, this is a very important country and our No. 1 market," said Ferrari boss Jean Todt. "But this is a very bad day for our sport and I feel bad for the supporters.''
Many blamed Ferrari itself -- the Italian team was the lone holdout in a series of compromises the nine other teams frantically tried to reach.
After two Michelin tires failed in Friday practice sessions -- one causing a wreck that prevented Ralf Schumacher from competing -- the tiremaker ruled that its rubber was unsafe for this track.
Michelin was rebuffed when it asked FIA to ease its rule forbidding teams to change tires after qualifying. FIA also refused to consider installing a chicane.
So Michelin advised its teams not to compete after a lengthy morning meeting between nine team bosses (Ferrari did not attend), F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and FIA. At one point, all 20 drivers were summoned to the meeting.
The nine teams even agreed to race for no points, as long as the obstacle was added to the course.
All of them said Ferrari would not agree to any of the proposals. Todt denied that Ferrari held up any deals, and said any decisions were left to FIA. However, he said Ferrari would have protested the use of a chicane.
The teams worked up until the final moments for a resolution, even lining up on the grid and taking the warmup lap. Then they pulled off, climbing out of their cars at the same time the remaining six drivers started the race.
The crowd was stunned. Some booed. Others threw water bottles on the track in disgust.
"If I was a fan out there I would do the same," said driver Jacques Villeneuve.
After just 10 of the scheduled 73 laps, many spectators began heading for the exits.
Five wins in 15 races is a pretty good start to the season. Greg Biffle wants more.
"Believe it or not, we've had some lows this season," Biffle said Sunday after using late-race strategy to win the Batman Begins 400 at Michigan International Speedway. "I mean, we've won five races, but also, at the same time, we had a radiator bar through the grill at Phoenix and then, last week [at Pocono], we lost the brakes when I thought we could have won the race.
"I just hope we can eliminate some of those mistakes that we've made," he added.
If his Roush Racing No. 16 team does stop making mistakes, he could turn the entire season into a runaway.
Heading into next Sunday's road race in Sonoma, California, Biffle is second in the standings. With leader Jimmie Johnson struggling to a 19th-place finish Sunday, Biffle cut the deficit from 123 points to just 49.
He did it by outdueling and outfoxing runner-up Tony Stewart, staying on track with slightly worn tires and turning that decision into his eighth career victory.
The powerful Roush team, winner of the last two season championships, got its eighth victory of the season. It was another strong showing for the entire team, with three of Biffle's four teammates finishing in the top five and the fifth driver, defending series champ Kurt Busch, fading to 12th after running in the top 10 through most of the 200-lap event on the 2-mile, high-banked oval.
Cristiano da Matta cruised to victory in the Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday to repeat his first-place finish in 2002.
Da Matta, the 2002 champion of Champ Car, finished 10.128 seconds in front of defending champion Sebastien Bourdais of France at Portland International Raceway.
Canada's Paul Tracy, who won two weeks ago at Milwaukee, finished third on the 3.1km road course.
It was da Matta's 12th career win.
Dane Tom Kristensen made history at Le Mans when he clinched a record seventh win in the motor racing classic in searing heat.
Kristensen, sharing with German Marco Werner and Finn JJ Lehto in an Audi R8, beat the previous record of six wins set by Belgian Jacky Ickx between 1969 and 1982.
The 37-year-old won the world's most famous endurance race at his first attempt in 1997 and every year from 2000.
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