Sept 06: Williams are confident they will be competitive at the Italian Grand Prix next weekend despite the row over their Michelin tyres. Williams and their fellow Michelin teams tried out new tyres at a test at Monza in Italy last week. And Williams chief operations engineer Sam Michael said: "We have made good progress on casings and compounds as part of our normal long-term development programme. We will be bringing good improvements to the tyres for the Italian GP."
Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn has claimed that Michelin have been producing illegally wide front tyres.
Michael said, "The FIA has changed their interpretation and will now measure front tyres when old as well as new.
"It is important to clarify that Michelin tyres have never been illegal."

A statement from Michelin said: "It is not for Ross Brawn to decide the legality of Michelin's tyres."

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Michelin added, "The FIA has always authorised all our front tyres whose 'tread width must not exceed 270mm'. This measurement has been taken by the FIA on new tyres, as stated in the FIA sporting regulations article 77C."
Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher - who leads the world championship by one point from Williams' Juan Pablo Montoya and two from Kimi Raikkonen of McLaren - has played down the potential impact of the tyre row.

"I don't think it will make that much difference," he told the Autosport website.
"The end result will not be that upside down from how it is now. It is a very confusing situation and lots of unqualified and qualified people are saying lots of things about how wide or narrow the tyres are."



Bureau Report