Ecclestone backs Michelin stance

Bernie Ecclestone believes Formula One should be grateful that seven teams pulled out of the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis – because he fears a driver could have died if the race had gone ahead.

The seven teams who use Michelin rubber were forced to pull out of the race after the warm-up lap having being advised that their tyres were no safe.

All seven team principals, along with representatives from Michelin and the sport’s commercial rights holder Ecclestone, gathered at Magny-Cours today to reveal they faced criminal charges if they had raced against Michelin advice.

Indiana law means the teams could have been charged with endangering lives even if an accident had not occurred, while the repercussions in the event of a serious smash would have been much worse.

Ecclestone applauded Michelin’s stance on the matter and insisted Formula One should be grateful that the problems were discovered in time.

He said: “I am pleased in a lot of ways that we didn’t race, had we done that maybe those tyres wouldn’t have lasted even with a chicane or two chicanes.

“Maybe they were just not up to it so maybe one of the other corners we would have had the same problem.

“I think we could easily have lost somebody there so maybe we got lucky.”

Far from terminally damaging the sport in the United States, Ecclestone signs up to the view that any publicity is good publicity.

He is taking solace from the fact that “we are well known in America now” and hopes greater efforts to promote the Indianapolis race next season will draw even bigger crowds.

“You have to look to the good in anything, even with the bad you have to look to the good.

“There’s nothing really positive expect we could have learned a lesson from this, that’s a about it.

“I think if we do our job right, help promote the race and Michelin get behind us, which I’m sure they will, we will see it much bigger.”

Six of the seven teams are in the process of appealing against guilty verdicts on two charges of bringing the sport into disrepute.

World governing body the FIA have postponed punishment after finding against all seven teams on two comparatively trivial failings and Ecclestone wants the whole episode forgotten about.

“The bottom line really and truly is no-one wanted to deceive anyone,” he added. “In the end the bottom line was there were no options.

“The way things have been dealt with, especially by Michelin, has been really good. They have stood up like men and said, ’We made a mistake and we are prepared to pay for it.’

“There were no options – if there were we would have taken them.

“Everybody did what they thought was the right thing to do and with hindsight it probably was. We are sorry, we are there to entertain.”

Renault, McLaren, William, Toyota, Sauber and BAR have all appealed against their guilty verdicts while Red Bull are “considering their options“, according to sporting director Christian Horner.