#1 ·
The attached statement has been signed by the following drivers (listed in alphabetical order):
Christijan Albers
Fernando Alonso
Jenson Button
David Coulthard
David Coulthard Pedro de la rosa
Giancarlo Fisichella
Giancarlo Fisichella Patrick Friesacher
Nick Heidfeld
Christian Klien
Felipe Massa
Juan Pablo Montoya
Raikkonen Takumi
Takuma Sato
Ralf Schumacher
Sato Ralf Schumacher Jarno Trulli
Jacques Villeneuve
Mark Webber
Alexander Wurz Ricardo Zonta Introduction
Alexander Wurz Ricardo Zonta Introduction
Introduction
1. WE The undersigned Drivers make this statement in order to assist The World motor sport Council in its consideration of The events AT The Indianapolis Grand Prix on Sunday 19th June.
2. We specifically want to address the idea that we could have simply implemented some sort of speed limit—one that hadn't even been clearly established—through Turn 13 for those on Michelin tires. There was also this suggestion that we should have just continued racing, with the Michelin-shod cars voluntarily slowing themselves down while navigating that turn.
3. Such a proposal would have set a precedent unlike anything we've seen in the history of F1—it goes against everything that makes racing competitive in the first place. Honestly, trying to enforce it would have been impossible, and more importantly, it just wouldn't have been safe.
Safety 4. not All Cars would have been subject to The speed restriction.
4. Not All Cars would have been subject to The speed restriction. There were at least six cars that would have been tackling Turn 13 at full throttle—I mean, pushing well over the limit—rather than being held back by the restriction. 199 miles If everyone had played by the rules—which, let's be honest, is always easier said than done—those other drivers would have been forced into a sudden, jarring deceleration entering the Turn, only to crawl through it before having to floor it again to get back up to pace.
5. This would have created a massive gap in velocity—both when approaching Turn 13, while navigating the corner itself, and upon exiting Turn 13. Honestly, having cars moving at such wildly different speeds at the exact same spot on the track would have been pure chaos—and incredibly dangerous.
6. There is really only one viable racing line through Turn 13—one that we all would have naturally gravitated toward. If a driver caught by the speed limit had to scrub off speed while hitting Turn 13 on the racing line, any car trailing them without those restrictions would be forced into a split-second decision—either braking hard or swerving to overtake off-line. It’s exactly the kind of unpredictable situation that puts both drivers at serious risk.
7. Because racing is inherently competitive, applying a speed limit would have turned the section into a strategic battleground for overtaking. Imagine two drivers—both stuck under that same restriction—fighting for position while entering or exiting Turn 13; they’d naturally try to outmaneuver one another by braking late or lunging early. It would have been total chaos—especially with other cars flying through the turn at much higher speeds—and frankly, it just wouldn't have been safe.
8. Considering how competitive a race actually is—I mean, nobody enters a race just to cruise—there would have been a massive incentive for drivers to push past those speed limits, especially when battling for position. Doing so would have put an enormous amount of stress on the Michelin tires, likely leading to failures that would have only added to the danger.
Practicality 9. The Teams would have been unable
9. The Teams wouldn't have had enough time to install a speed limiter capable of functioning specifically around Turn 13—which just isn't feasible. This would have essentially forced the Drivers to manage the speed restrictions manually while simultaneously fighting for position on the track. Aside from the obvious safety concerns I mentioned earlier, we don't believe it would have even been physically possible for a Driver to pull that off.
10. There’s a massive difference between the pit lane—where you have those unmistakable entry and exit markers—and Turn 13, which lacked any physical indication of where the speed limit actually started or ended. In the pits, we’re trained to hit specific lines so we can manage our braking and acceleration perfectly, keeping our pace steady. But out at Turn 13, there was no way to know exactly when to back off or when to floor it to stay within the limit. Every driver would have been left guessing, making split-second judgments that would shift every single lap based on the flow of the race. Honestly, it would have been nearly impossible for any of us to be certain we were actually complying with the restriction.
11. It's also our view that it would've been an impossible task for the Stewards—or frankly, anyone else on the track—to monitor Turn 13 accurately enough to know exactly when a driver hit the brakes, or if they actually stayed within the limits while navigating those specific zones.
12. Given those factors, we're certain that trying to enforce a speed limit at Turn 13 simply wouldn't have worked—it's just too difficult to manage effectively.
On the day of the Grand Prix
13. That morning, before things kicked off, all the Drivers met with Team representatives for a briefing. We were briefed on the issues regarding the Michelin tires. While our hearts were set on racing, we understood that the Michelin Teams couldn't just ignore safety warnings—nobody wants to risk a catastrophic accident.
14. During that same meeting, the idea of adding a chicane at Turn 13 was brought up. We've seen chicanes work quite well at other tracks before, and we truly felt a chicane would have been a practical fix for the situation here at Indianapolis. Because of that, nobody raised an objection during the session.
15. A good number of us were also approached by our respective Teams regarding the FIA's suggestion of a speed restriction. Those who spoke with their teams made it clear that such a rule was both unsafe and unfeasible—as we've noted—and the Teams passed that feedback directly back to the FIA officials.
In Closing
16. Every single one of us wanted nothing more than a real, honest race at Indianapolis—one of the most legendary tracks in the sport—to show what Formula One is all about to the fans here in America. It's deeply disappointing that we weren't given the chance.
Signed, June 23, 2005
Christijan Albers, Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, David Coulthard, Pedro de la Rosa, Giancarlo Fisichella, Patrick Friesacher, Nick Heidfeld, Christian Klien, Felipe Massa, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kimi Raikkonen, Takuma Sato, Ralf Schumacher, Jarno Trulli, Jacques Villeneuve, Mark Webber, Alexander Wurz and Ricardo Zonta.
Christijan Albers
Fernando Alonso
Jenson Button
David Coulthard
David Coulthard Pedro de la rosa
Giancarlo Fisichella
Giancarlo Fisichella Patrick Friesacher
Nick Heidfeld
Christian Klien
Felipe Massa
Juan Pablo Montoya
Raikkonen Takumi
Takuma Sato
Ralf Schumacher
Sato Ralf Schumacher Jarno Trulli
Jacques Villeneuve
Mark Webber
Alexander Wurz Ricardo Zonta Introduction
Alexander Wurz Ricardo Zonta Introduction
Introduction
1. WE The undersigned Drivers make this statement in order to assist The World motor sport Council in its consideration of The events AT The Indianapolis Grand Prix on Sunday 19th June.
2. We specifically want to address the idea that we could have simply implemented some sort of speed limit—one that hadn't even been clearly established—through Turn 13 for those on Michelin tires. There was also this suggestion that we should have just continued racing, with the Michelin-shod cars voluntarily slowing themselves down while navigating that turn.
3. Such a proposal would have set a precedent unlike anything we've seen in the history of F1—it goes against everything that makes racing competitive in the first place. Honestly, trying to enforce it would have been impossible, and more importantly, it just wouldn't have been safe.
Safety 4. not All Cars would have been subject to The speed restriction.
4. Not All Cars would have been subject to The speed restriction. There were at least six cars that would have been tackling Turn 13 at full throttle—I mean, pushing well over the limit—rather than being held back by the restriction. 199 miles If everyone had played by the rules—which, let's be honest, is always easier said than done—those other drivers would have been forced into a sudden, jarring deceleration entering the Turn, only to crawl through it before having to floor it again to get back up to pace.
5. This would have created a massive gap in velocity—both when approaching Turn 13, while navigating the corner itself, and upon exiting Turn 13. Honestly, having cars moving at such wildly different speeds at the exact same spot on the track would have been pure chaos—and incredibly dangerous.
6. There is really only one viable racing line through Turn 13—one that we all would have naturally gravitated toward. If a driver caught by the speed limit had to scrub off speed while hitting Turn 13 on the racing line, any car trailing them without those restrictions would be forced into a split-second decision—either braking hard or swerving to overtake off-line. It’s exactly the kind of unpredictable situation that puts both drivers at serious risk.
7. Because racing is inherently competitive, applying a speed limit would have turned the section into a strategic battleground for overtaking. Imagine two drivers—both stuck under that same restriction—fighting for position while entering or exiting Turn 13; they’d naturally try to outmaneuver one another by braking late or lunging early. It would have been total chaos—especially with other cars flying through the turn at much higher speeds—and frankly, it just wouldn't have been safe.
8. Considering how competitive a race actually is—I mean, nobody enters a race just to cruise—there would have been a massive incentive for drivers to push past those speed limits, especially when battling for position. Doing so would have put an enormous amount of stress on the Michelin tires, likely leading to failures that would have only added to the danger.
Practicality 9. The Teams would have been unable
9. The Teams wouldn't have had enough time to install a speed limiter capable of functioning specifically around Turn 13—which just isn't feasible. This would have essentially forced the Drivers to manage the speed restrictions manually while simultaneously fighting for position on the track. Aside from the obvious safety concerns I mentioned earlier, we don't believe it would have even been physically possible for a Driver to pull that off.
10. There’s a massive difference between the pit lane—where you have those unmistakable entry and exit markers—and Turn 13, which lacked any physical indication of where the speed limit actually started or ended. In the pits, we’re trained to hit specific lines so we can manage our braking and acceleration perfectly, keeping our pace steady. But out at Turn 13, there was no way to know exactly when to back off or when to floor it to stay within the limit. Every driver would have been left guessing, making split-second judgments that would shift every single lap based on the flow of the race. Honestly, it would have been nearly impossible for any of us to be certain we were actually complying with the restriction.
11. It's also our view that it would've been an impossible task for the Stewards—or frankly, anyone else on the track—to monitor Turn 13 accurately enough to know exactly when a driver hit the brakes, or if they actually stayed within the limits while navigating those specific zones.
12. Given those factors, we're certain that trying to enforce a speed limit at Turn 13 simply wouldn't have worked—it's just too difficult to manage effectively.
On the day of the Grand Prix
13. That morning, before things kicked off, all the Drivers met with Team representatives for a briefing. We were briefed on the issues regarding the Michelin tires. While our hearts were set on racing, we understood that the Michelin Teams couldn't just ignore safety warnings—nobody wants to risk a catastrophic accident.
14. During that same meeting, the idea of adding a chicane at Turn 13 was brought up. We've seen chicanes work quite well at other tracks before, and we truly felt a chicane would have been a practical fix for the situation here at Indianapolis. Because of that, nobody raised an objection during the session.
15. A good number of us were also approached by our respective Teams regarding the FIA's suggestion of a speed restriction. Those who spoke with their teams made it clear that such a rule was both unsafe and unfeasible—as we've noted—and the Teams passed that feedback directly back to the FIA officials.
In Closing
16. Every single one of us wanted nothing more than a real, honest race at Indianapolis—one of the most legendary tracks in the sport—to show what Formula One is all about to the fans here in America. It's deeply disappointing that we weren't given the chance.
Signed, June 23, 2005
Christijan Albers, Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, David Coulthard, Pedro de la Rosa, Giancarlo Fisichella, Patrick Friesacher, Nick Heidfeld, Christian Klien, Felipe Massa, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kimi Raikkonen, Takuma Sato, Ralf Schumacher, Jarno Trulli, Jacques Villeneuve, Mark Webber, Alexander Wurz and Ricardo Zonta.