INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, 19 June 2005 — Italy’s Jarno Trulli shrugged off concerns about tire safety yesterday to put his Toyota on pole position for the US Grand Prix.
Trulli’s flying lap of 1min 10.625sec on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway came after tire manufacturer Michelin threw the weekend into confusion by saying it couldn’t recommend that the seven Formula One teams it supplies race their current tires today unless technicians could pinpoint the cause of Trulli’s Toyota teammate Ralf Schumacher’s tire deflation in practice Friday.
Michelin officials were so concerned they were seeking permission from the FIA to bring in a new supply of tires from France for race day. Formula One rules, however, stipulate that the same specification tires must be used for qualifying and for the race, and it remained to be seen if the international federation would approve the plan, and if the non-Michelin teams — Ferrari, Minardi and Jordan —would go along with it.
“At the moment we don’t think about it,” Trulli said of the possibility that he might not even start the race. “Probably this afternoon we’ll get a better idea of what will happen tomorrow. We’ve been told to qualify without any problems.”
On the track, Trulli certainly didn’t look like a man concerned about the practice crashes to teammates Schumacher and Ricardo Zonta on Friday.
Sudden left rear tire deflation was a factor in both, and has yet to be explained. Schumacher hit the wall hard enough to be ruled out of the race on medical grounds, although he said yesterday morning he felt reasonably fit and would return at the French Grand Prix on July 3. Zonta, a test driver, took his place and qualified 13th.
“It has been so far a difficult time for everybody here,” said Trulli, the winner of the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix who has three podium finishes to his credit this season.
Under the circumstances, Trulli said: “It’s quite difficult to set up the car, work and feel confident. Up to now we probably don’t feel 100 percent confident with our package.”
He said the team had taken advice from Michelin on steps to maximize the tires’ safety for practice and qualifying, such as increasing pressure. Second spot on the grid went to unflappable Finn Kimi Raikkonen, who won the Canadian Grand Prix last Sunday to narrow the gap on world championship leader Fernando Alonso to 22 points.
Raikkonen, whose McLaren-Mercedes uses Michelin tires, said the issue was a distraction, but not a serious concern. “It didn’t make our preparation any easier,” Raikkonen said after his lap of 1:10.694. “I’m not worried about the tires tomorrow. I think they’ll be OK.”
Briton Jenson Button, who started from pole in Canada, was third fastest in 1:11.277, followed by Italy’s Giancarlo Fisichella in a Renault. His Renault teammate Alonso was sixth-fastest, sandwiched between the Ferraris of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher of Germany in fifth and Rubens Barrichello of Italy in seventh.
