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here's the article outlining what is going on. seems i was a bit off. i guess it's not 16mil each. collectively it's 16 mil ops:

From speedtv.com

A report from French news agency AFP reveals that the FIA could order the seven Michelin-shod Formula 1 squads that boycotted last week's United States Grand Prix to pay a collective fine of circa $16 million, destined to refund the paying customers who attended the event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. F1's governing body has scheduled a World Motor Sport Council hearing for June 29, in which the teams - Renault, McLaren-Mercedes, Toyota, Williams-BMW, BAR-Honda, Sauber and Red Bull - will have to answer to accusations of disrespecting articles 151c and 131 of the FIA's International Sporting Code (click here for story). Yet since sanctions similar to the two-race ban applied to BAR-Honda after it ran illegal cars at the San Marino GP would in effect render the 2005 championship unviable - a repeat of the six-cars-only USGP grid is certainly the last thing on the FIA's mind - the possibility of financial punishment looks increasingly likely. "I think Michelin and the seven teams should compensate the fans," FIA president Max Mosley has been quoted as saying. F1 action resumes with tire testing... The main characters of the USGP fiasco - tires - are again the center of attention as F1's squads go back to work this week. Ironically, the Bridgestone and Michelin teams again won't go head-to-head, as Ferrari will be the sole conductor of testing for the Japanese marque at Barcelona beginning today (Tuesday) before being joined by Jordan on Thursday, while all Michelin teams bar Red Bull are expected to start working at the Jerez circuit, also in Spain, on Wednesday. The French tiremaker has already stated that it won't be evaluating the Indy tire to assess the causes for its product's several failures at IMS, choosing instead to focus on finding the appropriate compound for the next race of the 2005 championship, the French GP on July 3.

http://speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/17736/


F1 may return to Indy next year

Considering the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s huge clout on the local economy, IMS president Joie Chitwood admitted to the Indianapolis Star that the United States Grand Prix might as well return to the facility next year, despite last week’s fiasco caused by the boycotting of the race by Formula 1’s seven Michelin-shod teams. "[This decision] is going to affect a lot of people. It's important that we understand our role in this and make some good decisions," Chitwood said of the possibilities for a 2006 USGP at Indy. It is estimated that the race generates revenues upward of $100 million for local businesses. As it faces the inevitable fan claims for refunds, the Speedway has erected a banner above the entrance of its administration office with the phrase, “We are disappointed too.” According to the Star, three lawsuits have already been filed by fans holding the FIA, Michelin and IMS accountable for not producing the type of event advertised.

http://speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/17734/

Michelin teams face stiff charges

The seven Michelin teams summoned by the FIA for boycotting the USGP at Indy will face serious charges when they appear at a World Motor Sport Council hearing on June 29 to justify their acts. Formula 1’s governing body has made public on its website the contents of the correspondence sent to the squads - Renault, McLaren-Mercedes, Toyota, Williams-BMW, BAR-Honda, Sauber and Red Bull - leaving little doubt of how deep the FIA intends to go with the matter. The letter asks the outfits’ principals to attend the hearing - “in which you may be assisted by the counsel of your choice” - to “answer charges that you have committed one or more acts prejudicial to the interests of a competition, namely the 2005 United States Grand Prix, and/or to the interests of motor sport generally,” as defined by Article 151c of the FIA’s International Sporting Code. The “prejudicial acts” listed are: “-failed to ensure that you had a supply of suitable tires for the race and/or -wrongfully refused to allow your cars to start the race and/or -wrongfully refused to allow your cars to race, subject to a speed restriction in one corner which was safe for such tires as they had available and/or -combined with other teams to make a demonstration damaging to the image of Formula 1 by pulling into the pits immediately before the start of the race and failed to notify the stewards of your intention not to race, in breach of Article 131 of the FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations.” The mentioned article mandates that the starting grid will be published four hours prior to the start of a race, and that competitors willing to withdraw from the competition must inform race stewards “no later than 45 minutes” before the start of the race. The letter wraps up notifying that a full dossier detailing the charges will be sent to the teams “within 48 hours.”

http://speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/17731/

The circus music quickly changes to the Imperial March