FIA warning on tyres

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Max Mosley has fired a double salvo in retaliation to media criticism of driver safety in the wake of Kimi Raikkonen’s last-lap crash in the European Grand Prix. Mosley has warned teams not to risk accidents by allowing drivers to race on seriously worn or damaged tyres – potentially a futile plea, as no team boss has yet criticised McLaren’s gamble at the Nurburgring.

He has also warned that the FIA may black-flag a driver whom they believe is running on a dangerous tyre. The provision for ordering repairs to a car deemed not raceworthy is actually contained within the use of the black and orange flag, and even has recent precedent (Australia 2003, Michael Schumacher.) However, this would place the stewards in the strange position of being responsible for declaring both when a tyre can and cannot be changed. This would surely put the onus on them to instruct a team as soon as they are allowed to change a particular tyre, before pole-axing them with a disqualification for not doing so.

Expect them to need at least one cock-up before they figure this out for themselves, though.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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