OCTOBER 26, 2001
Michelin accuses Ferrari of unfair advantage
Michelin boss Pierre Dupasquier accused Ferrari of using chemically treated tires during the final two rounds of the world championship.
"From the Indianapolis race there has been a particular smell from the Ferrari's tires. Everyone knows that certain products used to speed up performances generate this", Dupasquier told the German magazine SportAutoMoto. The French tire boss was presumably referring to a chemical added to a tire's surface to increase its grip.
"How else can you explain Schumacher's incredible early laps? Seeing as nobody has complained about it, we will adapt our approach accordingly".
The Bridgestone tires were, however, considerably better than the Michelins when new. Michelin-supplied teams were forced to begin races on scrubbed tires to help reduce the performance gap in the early laps.