Fans File Lawsuits Over US Grand Prix

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Well This took all of 5 Minutes to Happen.....

As reported on Xtra.co.nz.

22/06/2005
Reuters

Three lawsuits have been filed by Formula One fans seething over the decision to stage the US Grand Prix with only six cars.

A class-action lawsuit was filed in Indianapolis on behalf of Larry Bowers, who wants a refund for his five tickets and travel expenses from his home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, said Bowers' lawyer, William Bock.

The suit, like two others filed Monday in Marion Superior Court, holds Formula One, the sport's governing body FIA and the Michelin tyre company responsible for not holding the type of event that was advertised.

Seven teams, including championship leaders Renault and McLaren, decided not to race Sunday after Michelin expressed concerns that the Indianapolis track could not handle its tyres.

World champion Michael Schumacher of Ferrari won the 73-lap race before 120,000 fans, many of whom tossed cans and bottles on to the track in disgust.

All of the six cars participating used Bridgestone tyres. Rather than sit out the race, the Michelin teams should have raced at reduced speeds, the FIA said.

"It was just a Bridgestone tyre practice session," said Bock. "Sunday's event did not meet the criteria of a race."

The boycotting teams will appear before the FIA's World Motor Sport Council in Paris on June 29.

Also named in Bowers' lawsuit was the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Bowers, reached Tuesday at his Colorado Springs home, would not discuss the lawsuit.

[johnnyperl]

good for them.
i feel bad for the fans, ferrari and for americas chances of a GP in 2006

[QuattroMan]

I would do the same, it was pretty f@cked up what they did..

[pimento]

I think it's ridiculous. It's unfortunate what happened, sure, but the only people that can be held factually responsible are Michellin and the teams, why sue everyone else?

[scubasteve87]

well pimento, it shows that you are australian, suing in ways that make no sense, that's an american tradition

[Homem de Gelo]

Racing at reduced speeds was ludacris.

Imagine Schumacher taking the final corner at full throttle and dodging Michelin runners who would be at least 50km/h slower for the sake of safety. And how could the FIA possibly determine a "safe" speed so quickly?

[taz_rocks_miami]

This is just nuts, we're just getting "sue" happy. I feel bad for the fans that had to travel a long way, but if the tires were unsafe in any way, why should the drivers risk their lifes? That's life people, get over it!!!

[lightweight]

In the US you can get sued for having a bad breath. It's getting ridiculous.
I admit though that it's pretty frustrating to pay money and not get action. If people get their money back, its ok. But filing lawsuits and demanding millions of dollars as moral compensation is pure crap.

[taz_rocks_miami]

In the US you can get sued for having a bad breath. It's getting ridiculous.
I admit though that it's pretty frustrating to pay money and not get action. If people get their money back, its ok. But filing lawsuits and demanding millions of dollars as moral compensation is pure crap.

Yep, one day a group of fans are gonna sue the NFL, NBA or MLB cuz their team lost the championship and cuased them emotional distress.

[fpv_gtho]

I can sympathise with the fans, but shouldnt they wait until the FIA sorts out what theyre doing with the teams first? They might find themselves being re-embursed anyway, without dragging it through the courts

[johnnyperl]

why are some of you guys coming down on the fans?
have you ever bought F1 tickets? in 2002 i paid 260EUR for the german GP, im sure they cost more now.
imagine you bought tickets to a music festival, flew 1000 miles then only three bands out of twenty played? wouldnt you want some compensation? its not like it didnt live up to their expectations or theyre suiing for emotional damages, they didnt get what they were sold!
sure, they could have waited untill the FIA decided on punishment (FIA wants the teams+michelin to repay the fans) but this suit isnt that absurd or excessive.

its the responsibility of the organizers AND the teams to put on the show, no matter what the cause you cant deny that somebody f***ed up and the fans got ripped off.

[drakkie]

this is just so american ....... this is the way stereotypes and prejudices emerge ....

[Fluppe]

In a ways, this is a possible risk you take, there's allways a chance that a race doesn't end according to plan...
Off course this is very bad publicity for the F1-circus, to Michelin too, but what do you have to do when you think your tyres won't make it till the end of the race & could cost some lives...
They should change the rules, 'cause such a thing is not done, especially to all those fans who pay big prices to get there, who even travel through the country to get there...
What I sugest the FIA had to do is let those new sets of tyres getting flown over and give the Michelin teams a penalty, or start from the pitlane, or such things, but cancel the whole "show" was for the others, and having a race with 6 cars is pathetic!
This was bad publicity for Michelin, and it wasn't even good publicity for Bridgestone!

[fpv_gtho]

Well ive always thought getting them onto the Barcelona tyres wouldve fixed the issue, penalty or no penalty, but wasnt the problem in the carcass, not the compound? In that case, the Barcelona tyres were still faulty as far as handling the banking

[johnnyperl]

this is just so american ....... this is the way stereotypes and prejudices emerge ....

well, at least were not Cloggies, tulip-eaters, coffeeshop-addicts, abortionists, tolerant, liberal and stingy like the dutch. before you yell at me...