21/06/2005
NEWS STORY
1992 World Champion, Nigel Mansell, last heard of putting together a billion pound deal with Brand Synergy in order to buy the rights to host the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, and even linked with a buy-out of the Jaguar F1 team, has voiced his opinion of Sunday's debacle at Indianapolis.
"A compromise had to be found," he told The Daily Mail, "a chicane being installed at that final fast corner, pure and simple."
"You cannot blame Michelin," he added. "I thought it was very brave of them to declare their concern over the integrity of their product and advise the teams. And you cannot really blame the teams, who had to react to the advice they were given and not risk the safety of their drivers.
Mansell knows all about tyre failure, the image of his tyre exploding at Adelaide in 1986, thereby handing the title to Alain Prost, is one of the true iconic images of the modern era of F1.
"I had some spectacular tyre failures during my career," said the Englishman. "One robbed me of a world title and yet I did not criticise the Goodyear company who supplied us in those days.
"You cannot disregard warnings about tyres," he added. "When the safety of drivers and, possibly, supporters comes into question, you don't mess about.
"You do whatever is necessary in order to race. A compromise had to be found."