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Thursday, March 1
"Tire wars" return in 2001
Reuters
MELBOURNE -- The return of "tire wars" to Formula One would make the 2001 season the most exciting in years, reigning world champion Michael Schumacher predicted Thursday.
The German said the variety in tires would add a mystery element to the new season which had been missing in previous years.
|  | | The new Benetton Renault B201 will be one of the cars outfitted in Michelin tires in 2001. |
"It's going to be a good season," the Ferrari champion told a news conference on Thursday.
"I think it's healthy for Formula One, it's healthy for the public because we're going to have a chance of more overtaking."
tires have not been a performance factor in the past two seasons, with Japanese manufacturer Bridgestone supplying all 11 teams after Goodyear quit at the end of 1998.
But Michelin are returning this season, supplying Williams, Jaguar, Benetton and Prost.
The rivalry between the two suppliers is sure to be intense and likely to create great variances in the performances of the rival teams over the course of the season as they experiment with ways of finding an edge.
McLaren boss Ron Dennis said the tire changes agreed with Schumacher's forecast that it would add a new element to the sport and would lead to some surprising results.
"It's going to be a competitive season and we'll definitely see some strange grids," Dennis said.
"We'll probably see tire companies choose a tire which gives qualifying performance superior to the other and yet, in racing performance, the stability of the tire will perhaps create a reversal in the races.
"(This) means we're going to see cars overtaking more this year than we have in the past as tire choice plays a role in the outcome of the race."
But Dennis said the tire wars could also end in tears because of the sport's loose definition on tire wear.
Under FIA rules, Formula One tires must each have four grooves at least 2.5 millimetres deep. Slicks -- fast, smooth tires -- were banned at the end of the 1997 season in an attempt to limit top speeds.
However, the state of tires at the finish remains a gray area and last season some cars were finishing races with the grooves on their tires almost worn away, making them tantamount to slicks according to some.
No one would have been in a position to complain in 2000 but this year an aggrieved rival could question the legality of the other manufacturer's tires.
"There's a possibility of a little controversy coming out of post-race inspections," Dennis said.
"Clearly tire companies want to win. In these early races, they are probably going to be a little conservative on compound choice.
"But of course there's still room for them getting it wrong and that means there's a possibility of tires being devoid of grooves at the end of a race.
"I think it's something that everybody is anticipating not least the tire companies ... and we'll find ourselves with some controversy." Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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