zondaland
06-24-2005, 10:49 AM
Over time the stories coming out of Michelin have changed somewhat, that particular story that I referred to came from quite early on in the drama, it is quite possible that they have amended their story as more information has come to light, however I am not aware of the Michelin explanation at present.
The difficulty with the FIA instituting penalties is that the drivers need to know exactly where their speeds will be measured. Would IMS be happy to have two white lines painted across the track at either end of their famous turn 1? Also some teams would argue that they place less stress on their tyres, as such they should be allowed to go at a higher speed through the turn.
As to the actual stress levels on the tyres at different speeds I would think that the aerodynamics of the cars would have a major effect on those figures, as such for us to guess at stress loadings would be impossible.
The only solution I can see that could have worked would have been for the Michelin teams to run at a reduced speed through turn 13 and not be competing for points. So the 6 Bridgestone runners could duke it out for points while the Michelin guys put on a show around the other 12 corners.
The difficulty with the FIA instituting penalties is that the drivers need to know exactly where their speeds will be measured. Would IMS be happy to have two white lines painted across the track at either end of their famous turn 1? Also some teams would argue that they place less stress on their tyres, as such they should be allowed to go at a higher speed through the turn.
As to the actual stress levels on the tyres at different speeds I would think that the aerodynamics of the cars would have a major effect on those figures, as such for us to guess at stress loadings would be impossible.
The only solution I can see that could have worked would have been for the Michelin teams to run at a reduced speed through turn 13 and not be competing for points. So the 6 Bridgestone runners could duke it out for points while the Michelin guys put on a show around the other 12 corners.