Originally Posted by AutoWeek
Ferrari was not keen on the chicane idea and you could understand that. Like Jordan and Minardi, the other Bridgestone runners, they suffered not the slightest tire problems in practice and failed to see why Michelin, having erred so badly, should be indulged.
Still, there was a greater issue at stake. After years of trying to sell itself to the United States consumers—potentially its biggest market—F1 had a collective responsibility to ensure its audience got what it had paid for: a race. And if, as a temporary salve, that had meant the installation of a chicane, all parties should have bitten the bullet. Like the man said, there comes a time when you have to set aside principle, and simply do what’s right.
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After the race, Schumacher talked about the weekend, and pointed the finger at Michelin. “We have left behind tires with better performance, but less durability,” he said, in reference to Bridgestone, “so, frankly, it’s nothing to do with us.”
Perhaps not. Undoubtedly, the root of the problem lay with Michelin. Its choice of compound for Indianapolis had been too marginal. But with a little goodwill, with some cooperation from a variety of sources, the problem could have been righted. As it was every suggested solution was rejected.
