<I>Crash.net</I> preview - US Grand Prix.

by Ollie Barstow.

Formula One has seen some controversial races in its time but even the most fleeting fans will be likely to remember the 2005 United States Grand Prix for years to come, a race that arguably became the most disgraceful chapter in the sport's history.

Already struggling to impress an American audience more used to their competitive wheel-to-wheel oval racing, the more corporate driven Formula One came to the legendary Indianapolis circuit in 2000 with the determination to dazzle the spectators with equally exciting races.

However, what was a famous circuit for Formula One soon became infamous when an initially innocent tyre dispute erupted into a full scale pull-out of all seven of the Michelin-shod teams following concerns that their tyres could not withstand Indianapolis' steeply banked curves.

With just six cars taking to the start line in one of the most curious images seen in Formula One history and the remaining 14 cars rolling into the pit lane to retire at the end of the formation lap, it was a shameful moment for a sport that has spent the last 12 months trying to recover from.

Indeed, the United States Grand Prix is the most participated race of the year but that only served to make the boos and jeers louder and with calls from spectators for Formula One never to return, it seemed the sport's future in such a crucial market for the teams was doomed.

Nonetheless, Formula One has returned and the teams are more determined than ever to rebuild a shattered reputation to the American audience. Their cause will no doubt be aided by the appearance of Scott Speed, who will give fans some home grown talent to cheer for the first time since 1989.

The main spectacle though will be up at the front, with Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen desperate to end the dominance of Fernando Alonso, the Spaniard having secured his fourth consecutive lights-to-flag win in Canada.

Whoever wins though, the 2006 United States Grand Prix will need to be something of a classic if it is to go anywhere near to banishing the memories of that race.

FIA F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP NEWS:

Having seen Giancarlo Fisichella take a valuable seat off the market when he re-signed for Renault ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, Jarno Trulli looks to be on the verge of doing the same after admitting he is set to race for at least one more year at Toyota.

Although the Italian's form this year has been disappointing, it seems Toyota bosses are keen for continuity and having seen Trulli claim his first points of the year in Montreal, they will hope it will be the start of a good run for the struggling team.

Christian Horner meanwhile has hinted that he may ditch his Ferrari engines in favour of Renault units after he claimed he was eager to claim the quickest and most reliable units on the market.

Although the French team has been coy on providing customer engines in the past, they have admitted that they would if the deal was right and rumours suggest that the deal would be sweetened for them if there was a seat made available for Renault prot?g? Heikki Kovalainen in return. The Ferrari engines, which have not proved the most reliable this year in the back of the Red Bull, would meanwhile be used by Scuderia Toro Rosso.

On the eve of the race in which their credibility took a damning blow, Michelin confirmed that they will not put in a bid to become the sole tyre supplier in 2008, seemingly suggesting that their decision to quit at the end of this year looks to be for the long-term.

NEWS FROM THE TEAMS:
Renault - Fernando Alonso (#1), Giancarlo Fisichella (#2):

The 'Fernando Alonso steamroller' continued apace in Canada, with no immediate end in sight to the Spaniard's domination of the 2006 Championship. Sublime in qualifying and equally controlling in the race, Alonso may not have looked the quickest car at times on the way to his fourth consecutive win in Canada, but unlike his rivals, he did not put a foot wrong.

Having claimed those four successes on circuits he has yet to taste the winners champagne prior to this year, Alonso will be looking to make it a round five at Indianapolis.

Interestingly though Alonso has yet to finish the United States Grand Prix on his four attempts, although it has proved a strong hunting ground for Renault in the past where their famously agile chassis proves quick on the circuit's middle sector and their potent engine is likely to make them competitive in a straight line too.

Giancarlo Fisichella's reputation as the 'nearly man' once again rang true in Canada when his strong second place on the grid was ruined by a costly drive-thru penalty when he jumped the start.

Having slipped slightly behind Kimi Raikkonen now in the hunt for third in the drivers standings, Fisichella will need to use the United States Grand Prix to kick-start his reply to the Finn's recent good form.

McLaren - Kimi Raikkonen (#3), Juan Pablo Montoya (#4):

Now seemingly over the reliability issues that stunted their form in the early part of the season, McLaren-Mercedes are now looking to find that bit of extra speed that will give them the edge over Ferrari and Renault.

Having taken the fight initially to Fernando Alonso and then going on to lose second place to Michael Schumacher late on in both the British and Canadian Grand's Prix, Kimi Raikkonen will be determined to take the next step up to the top of the podium, particularly as he has yet to claim victory so far this year.

Indeed, the Finn is confident that McLaren have begun to show an improvement in recent races and with the United States Grand Prix high on his wish list of wins, he will be going all out for victory at the weekend.

"At Montreal, we were able to show the step forward we have made with the MP4-
21 and hopefully this week in America we will be able to challenge for the top step of the podium," he said. "The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a great venue, and it is one of those everyone wants to say they have won at."

This is a circuit though that Juan Pablo Montoya already claims the silverware for, although on that occasion he was going in the opposite direction and was only turning left on the way to the famed 2000 Indianapolis 500.

One of the sport's ultimate achievements, Montoya is looking to get back to winning ways at Indianapolis, even if he will have to turn right as well as left. He is especially eager to get his year back on track after a disappointing weekend in Canada when an early clash with Nico Rosberg and then a terminal altercation with 'Champions Wall' saw him leaving Montreal pointless.

"After my race in Canada, I cannot wait to get straight back on track this weekend, as the car felt really quick. It is even better for me that we are at Indy this race and competing for the fans, who are amazing and I personally have awesome support from Colombia, so I am looking forward to getting out there and putting on a fantastic show for them.

"The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has such great memories for me from my days in CART and of course winning the Indy 500 in 2000, it is such a special venue, full of history and legend."

Ferrari - Michael Schumacher (#5), Felipe Massa (#6):

Two points may sound relatively insignificant but having played second fiddle to Fernando Alonso in three of the last four races, Michael Schumacher is seeing his championship chances ebb away gradually.

Although a pair of retirements on Alonso's part can make all the difference, it seems in a straight fight that Schumacher and Ferrari cannot quite take on their main rivals in terms of outright speed.

Indeed, Schumacher was typically on form when it mattered during the race in Canada, but a poor qualifying and an equally disappointing start put paid to his hopes, even if that famous luck of his did strike on the penultimate lap when Kimi Raikkonen fell victim on a treacherous Gilles Villeneuve Circuit.

Still, Schumacher is remaining confident as always and will be hoping to repeat his form from 2005 where he claimed his only win of the year, albeit in somewhat fortuitous circumstances.

"In my opinion, I think that we will be competitive although I cannot say for sure how we will do compared to our adversaries. The race will be on a track that none of us have tested on and this means that things always turn out differently to how we expect. For Indianapolis, the set up has to be a sort of compromise as there are long straights mixed with tricky stretches.

"It is not very easy but we have always done well here. This year, I do not expect our car to have any problems with the set up. Further, the great thing about Speedway is that overtaking is possible.

"The title challenge is not over and until it is, we will do all that we can to change the current situation. We will see what we can do. In any case, I am looking forward to the race. We want to put on a show for the fans".

A surprisingly unique strategy for Felipe Massa in Canada made his fifth place from tenth on the grid look like a strong performance but it remains to be seen whether going for a more traditional two-stop strategy and not compromising your grid position would have proved any better for him.

As it happens, Massa added four more points to his tally and has now leapfrogged Juan Pablo Montoya in the drivers' standings in fifth place. It will no doubt be a position he will be hoping to maintain at Indianapolis.

Toyota - Ralf Schumacher (#7), Jarno Trulli (#8):

Although many teams came away from last year's United States Grand Prix disappointed, few were as frustrated as Toyota having seen Jarno Trulli claim their first ever pole position and then watch as they were forced to watch it come to nothing.

As it happens though, it was Ralf Schumacher in the second Toyota that had highlighted the deficiencies in the Michelin tyres when he crashed heavily in practice. The chain reaction that followed saw Trulli miss out on a potentially landmark result for the team.

While it is unlikely Toyota can make another attempt at winning from pole position this year, Trulli will be riding a confidence high after Canada having secured a strong grid position in fourth and then going on to sixth place. Together with reports he is ready to pen a contract extension with the team, Trulli will be more relaxed than ever going into Indianapolis.

"Last year's US Grand Prix was an unfortunate weekend, and I was most sorry for the spectators who had come to the event," Trulli stated. "But we had no choice on race day because the risk to the drivers was too big. Of course it was hard to step out of the car but even though I was on pole, I would not have wanted to race under those conditions.

"It has not been a very lucky season so far for me but we have definitely improved our performance as the season has gone on and the points in Canada were very welcome. I'm really looking forward to finishing the year well and I think I've earned the right to a change of fortune."

Having come into criticism for his erratic driving in Canada at the wheel of an ailing car, Ralf Schumacher is hoping that he can get back to the front of the grid at Indianapolis, a circuit he claims to enjoy.

"Of course I have mixed memories of Indianapolis, not least from last year. It was a tough decision for the teams not to race and it was particularly hard on the fans who had travelled to see the event. But it was the right decision because it was clearly unsafe to race and the safety of the drivers has to come first.

"The organisers have done a good job with the circuit at the Speedway and the challenge is to set up the car for good speed along the oval section while retaining stability through the twisty infield. The atmosphere is usually great at Indianapolis and I hope it will be similar again this year."

Williams F1 - Mark Webber (#9), Nico Rosberg (#10):

Another race, another disappointment for Williams after their hopes of a strong finish disappeared on the second lap when Nico Rosberg came together with Juan Pablo Montoya.

Indeed, Rosberg's weekend had not been without controversy after team-mate Mark Webber claimed he was the reason why he failed to reach the second stage of qualifying, a statement that the German apologised for but cautiously refuted at the same time, insisting that the Australian wouldn't have made it anyway, with or without their altercation.

His collision with Montoya in the race though drew further criticism from a rival, although both later admitted it to be a mere racing incident. Either way, it lost Rosberg a good chance to claim points on a circuit he has never driven on before.

It will be the same situation at Indianapolis, but Rosberg is anticipating the large crowds to make all the difference for him personally.

"Again, Indy is a track I haven't yet raced at but one which I've learnt on the simulator. It seems to be quite different from the other circuits due to the very long straight and the banking. It will be interesting to see what Michelin and Bridgestone will come up with after what happened last year.

"I really hope that the fans will come back this year because I have watched several Indy 500 races on the TV and the atmosphere is just great with all those huge grandstands packed with people! For a driver, the bigger the crowd, the better it is!"

Having seen two consecutive races destroyed by a poor grid position, Mark Webber is determined to make amends in America and even claims that Indianapolis will suit both his car and his Cosworth engine.

"It will be good to be back in America this week and I hope that we can put on a good show for the fans, they deserve it and Formula One needs it. As a team, we also need to do a lot better than we did in Canada, primarily by benefiting from a better tyre choice. I think we can be quite strong in Indianapolis, providing we make the right decisions in our preparations.

"I like racing in the US, even if the Speedway was not designed for Formula One cars, and I respect the history of the track. It's important that we come home with some points from these two flyaways."

Honda Racing F1 - Rubens Barrichello (#11), Jenson Button (#12):

They may still hold fourth place in the constructors standings by a comfortable margin but Honda's disappointing run of form continued in Canada and although they got both of their cars into the top ten shoot-out, mechanical failure and general lack of pace saw them come away empty handed for the second race in succession.

It is something that is beginning to see Honda's top brass lose patience, with Geoff Willis proving the first of the senior personnel to be shown the door as the manufacturer looks to desperately claw back the ground they have lost to Renault, Ferrari and McLaren since the first race.

The situation is unlikely to be any better a week later at Indianapolis but both Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button claim to enjoy the circuit and the time they spend in the United States.

"I really enjoy racing in the United States and have a lot of friends based there so I always look forward to this particular race," Barrichello said. "The track itself is a lot of fun with some great overtaking places and it feels good to drive through the first corner of the oval banking flat out, although it is an easy corner for us in an F1 car.

"I had a disappointing race in Montreal so we will be hoping for better this weekend, but it will be tough for us until we return to testing and work on improving the performance of the car."

"It's always exciting to race at a venue which has such a strong history and Indianapolis always has a great atmosphere," Button added. "The circuit itself is very slow with the tight in-field section. I generally prefer fast flowing circuits but you can overtake around here which should make for some exciting racing for the fans.

"We will be using different tyres at Indy to those we used last weekend in Montreal so I am hoping that we can have a better race there."

Red Bull Racing - David Coulthard (#14), Christian Klien (#15):

After a disappointing performance in practice and qualifying, Red Bull Racing could have been forgiven for thinking that they were going to come away from the Canadian Grand Prix with little to show for, even more so when David Coulthard was forced to start last courtesy of an engine change.

However, once again the Scot came through for the team to add a solitary but much needed point to their tally. Encouragingly, Red Bull also managed to get both of their cars to the finish and it will be something they will be aiming to repeat at Indianapolis.

Another quick circuit that is likely to push their Ferrari engines to the limit, more points will be the ultimate aim but having slipped behind BMW and Toyota recently in terms of pace, they may need some of that luck again if they are really to jump ahead in the points.

BMW Sauber - Nick Heidfeld (#16), Jacques Villeneuve (#17):

Although BMW Sauber kept their points tally ticking over steadily once again in Canada, the team still came away from Montreal bitterly disappointed with their results after showing early on in the weekend that they could possibly cause a significant upset.

As it happens, qualifying was their downfall, although Nick Heidfeld managed to recover from 13th on the grid to claim seventh place at the finish. Jacques Villeneuve meanwhile saw his certain eighth disappear when he pitched his car into the wall when he got a little bit wide onto the Montreal 'marbles' late on in the race.

However, while BMW were not quite able to fulfil their ultimate promise in Canada, their claims that they have now surpassed Honda as the fourth best team in the sport seems to be ringing true. Furthermore, having starred on high-speed circuits such as Silverstone and Montreal recently, hopes are high of a repeat at the similarly quick Indianapolis.

"I am looking forward to the U.S. GP," Heidfeld said. "Indianapolis is the mecca of American motorsport. For us F1 drivers it is something special to drive on the banking, although basically this is a simple task as you just go flat out. We only use a part of the oval, as especially for F1 an infield section with lots of corners was built for its debut year in 2000.

"I have done well in Indianapolis. In 2001 I had one of my best races to date. Although I lost first, second and seventh gears, I finished sixth and scored a point."

Villeneuve though is not a particular fan of the circuit, claiming that the design does not make the most of the tracks good points. However, having made his name in American motor sport, Villeneuve admits that he treats the US Grand Prix as another home race.

"The F1 circuit in Indianapolis isn't a bad track, although I feel it's not as good as it could be," he said. "If I had designed it I would have used both straights on the oval, not just the one which is at the start of the lap.

"It is a difficult track to drive and the fact it is bumpy doesn't help. It's always nice to go to Indy after a spell in Europe and the atmosphere outside the paddock is always great. It feels a bit like a home Grand Prix because of the number of Canadian fans that are there, and the US fans also know me quite well."

MF1 Racing - Tiago Monteiro (#18), Christijan Albers (#19):

If MF1 can repeat the feat of its Jordan Grand Prix predecessor from last year, then the team will no doubt be more than content with their weekend's work. However, the likelihood of them managing the third and fourth place finish from 2005 seems somewhat unlikely.

Nonetheless, any result will be better than their dismal Canadian race that saw Tiago Monteiro and Christijan Albers come together for the second time this year. However, while Albers seemed to be at fault at Monaco, Monteiro was to blame for their coming together in Canada, with Albers actually being forced to retire on the opening lap.

With the disappointment of Canada behind them, both Monteiro and Albers are looking forward to a race they claim with suit their M16. Monteiro is particularly itching to get back to Indianapolis having finished third last year, as well as having further experience from his Champ Car days.

"This is a very special place for me. I took my first F1 podium here after what was admittedly a very strange race, but that doesn't diminish the pride I feel in my team for having achieved it. I've always loved Indy because it's also where my Champ Car team was based when I raced in that series in 2003, so I have a few friends there, as well.

"There is so much history at this track and it's also a nice place to drive, with a very technical infield and then this long, incredibly fast straight. I really enjoyed driving there in the past and I'm looking forward to doing it again."

Albers meanwhile is determined to put his Canadian misdemeanour behind him and prove more competitive at Indianapolis, a race where he also claimed a points' finish for Minardi last year in fifth place.

"I hope we can do much better at Indianapolis than we did in Canada, which was really a disappointing weekend because we weren't able to get the maximum out of the car," Albers added. "The incident with Tiago was really unfortunate, too. It can only mean that things will get better at the Brickyard. Hopefully, we can find the right set-up for the car and do well in qualifying."

Scuderia Toro Rosso - Vitantonio Liuzzi (#20), Scott Speed (#21):

Although they are not one of the more high profile teams on the grid, Scuderia Toro Rosso will undoubtedly be the focus for many American fans this weekend thanks to the appearance of Scott Speed.

The first American to compete in Formula One since 1993 and the first American to compete in a home grand prix since 1989, Speed will offer renewed interest for the fans that certainly made their feelings felt after last year's race.

Although he has already admitted that he feels no pressure competing in front of his home fans, Speed will no doubt be chasing a fairytale points' finish.

"Even here (in Canada) I felt so much more support than normal, so it is a great feeling being on this side of the Atlantic," he said. "Next weekend is going to be the pinnacle for me. I am very excited to see how much support I will have at Indianapolis," Speed said.

Vitantonio Liuzzi meanwhile will rue missing out on possibly his and STR's first points of 2006 when an altercation with Mark Webber knocked his front wing off and dropped him down the field. At that point he was some distance in front of team-mate Scott Speed, who went on to finish in tenth place.

Now beginning to appear regularly in the second knockout qualifying session, Liuzzi will have to be eyeing those first points and with his V10 engine unlikely to be as stressed as it V8 counterparts down that achingly long home straight, Liuzzi will be aiming for that elusive top eight finish.

Super Aguri F1 - Takuma Sato (#22), Franck Montagny (#23):

They may lack the profile of the larger teams at most races but coming to Indianapolis will be something of a homecoming for Aguri Suzuki as it is here where the 'Super Aguri Fernandez Racing' IRL team he made his name with is based.

Somewhat more competitive in the IRL than they are in Formula One, Super Aguri will at least be in familiar surroundings in the United States and with their new car just a race away now, they would like to end on a relative high.

It is a sentiment shared with Franck Montagny as it is largely expected that he will step aside from his role as second driver with the team to make way for new test driver Sakon Yamamoto in France, even if this has yet to be confirmed. Still, he believes he is in for a good weekend, despite coming to a circuit he does not know.

"The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of the most popular circuits in motorsport, especially as it hosts the Indy 500 race. I am very happy to be going there for Formula One, I don't know the circuit, but I am not worried about it because I adapt quite quickly.

"I have been told that the circuit is more or less the same situation as Montreal in terms of set-up and as I think that we had a good car there I believe it's going to be a good weekend."

Takuma Sato meanwhile was unlucky to retire from the Canadian Grand Prix with just a handful of laps remaining, but having achieved what he claims was his best ever result in at Indianapolis in 2004 when he finished third, the Japanese driver has high hopes for a strong turn of pace.

"Indy is a special place for me because I had the best race of my F1 career there in 2004 when I achieved my first podium finish. It is an historic place for motor racing and the fans are always very supportive. We could not race there last year, so for me the most recent memories from Indy are from 2004.

"The circuit is very unique as it uses the oval banking area with a long straight, but in contrast, the infield features many slow corners. I like the atmosphere at the two North American races, so I am very much looking forward to returning to Indy this week."

TYRES:

With so many lessons to be learned from 2005, it is highly unlikely that either Michelin or Bridgestone will make the same mistakes of last year but the unique challenge of Indianapolis remains.

The main sticking point is still set to be the steep bank that caused all the problems last year. With so much load going into the wall of the tyre thanks to the change of gradient, it can cause it to collapse, as was the case in 2005.

Crucially, the F1 teams do not test at circuit similar to Indianapolis so the tyre producers go there with little or no data. Nonetheless, Bridgestone in particular are confident of having the edge over their rivals through the weekend, particularly as they have small experience from their role in the Champ Car World Series, a championship that also competes on ovals occasionally.

"Indianapolis is quite unique with its combination of very fast oval and slow infield sections", said technical manager Hisao Suganuma. "From a tyre point of view this means we need a tyre with performance characteristics to make the best of both sections of the track. The slow infield requires tyres with good grip which means we are looking at compounds from the softer end of the scale.

"However, the oval is extremely fast so the tyres also need to have very good stability and braking performance. Turn 13 in particular submits the tyres to very high loads and high lateral forces. The drivers are on full throttle through this section so the tyres must be strong enough to cope with both these directional forces. Normally tyres are loaded more on the inboard side of the car because of the negative camber.

"At Indianapolis however, the banking means the outboard side is also loaded so tyre manufacturers have to be vigilant here. Bridgestone has taken all these factors into consideration when deciding with our teams which tyre specifications to bring. The specs have all been very carefully chosen for this race and we will be looking for a good result this weekend."

THE TRACK:

Race Distance: 73 laps - Circuit Length: 2.605 miles (4.192 kms)

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the second oldest motor-racing venue currently in use. The 4.192 kms course that snakes through the infield also utilises part of the fabled Indianapolis oval. Indianapolis has played host to Formula One since 2000 and now forms a mid-season set of back-to-back races with Canada.

Tony George, head of the Speedway Corporation and a descendent of the Hulman family that has steered the fortunes of the historic American track, pulled out all the stops to create a world-class racing circuit that could provide a permanent home for the United States Grand Prix. In pursuit of that goal, he made radical changes to the original Speedway by demolishing buildings, erecting a new pit complex and grandstands, and building today's challenging road course.

Overtaking is much easier at Indianapolis than at most tracks, with clear passing opportunities into turns one and eight, both second-gear corners proceeded by long straights. The slowest part of the track is the 40mph turn eight, the first part of an extremely tight S- bend, while the fastest is turn thirteen. This is the first corner of the oval and is taken flat-out at 185mph in an F1 car.

THE WINNER?

Having secured his fourth straight win in Canada, there is no reason to suggest that Fernando Alonso cannot continue his relentless pace at Indianapolis.

Schumacher and Raikkonen continue to be a threat but there is seems that they have an answer to the rock-solid Alonso-Renault package just yet.

LAST SEASON:

One of the most unforgettable races of all time, albeit for the wrong reasons, saw unfancied names step up to the spotlight but with the promise of precious points on offer, this was not much of a race.

As it happens Michael Schumacher almost came together with Rubens Barrichello on the way to victory, but with Jordan and Minardi staring at healthy and rare points, there was little racing to be seen.

Tiago Monteiro claimed a podium for Jordan. Narain Karthikeyan, Christijan Albers and Patrick Friesacher were the remaining surprise, Bridgestone-only drivers left in the points.

1. Michael Schumacher German Ferrari 73 laps 01hr 29mins 43.181secs
2. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Ferrari +1.5secs
3. Tiago Monteiro Portugal Jordan-Toyota +1 lap
4. Narain Karthikeyan India Jordan-Toyota +1 lap
5. Christijan Albers Holland Minardi-Cosworth +2 laps
6. Patrick Friesacher Austria Minardi-Cosworth +2 laps