'Frankly, as a driver I'm embarrassed'

The veteran British driver David Coulthard led the post-mortem into Formula One's most farcical outing yet yesterday.

The veteran British driver David Coulthard led the post-mortem into Formula One's most farcical outing yet yesterday.

Gauging the mood of a furious paying public, the Red Bull driver, said: "This is going to leave a long-lasting bitter taste in people's mouths. Quite frankly, as a driver, I'm embarrassed to be involved in this situation.

"The fact is that mature adults were not able to put on a show for everybody. It's a very sad day for racing," said Coulthard, whose team were one of the seven to pull out of the race due to safety concerns over the durability of Michelin's tyres.

Jarno Trulli, the Toyota driver who earned pole position but never used it, said: "It's a big frustration for the whole team, the drivers, for F1 in general, especially in front of the American fans. But we couldn't avoid this situation - we were in danger and we knew it. It was clear that Michelin runners couldn't race today."

Bernie Ecclestone, the sport's ringmaster, pointed the finger of blame firmly at Michelin. "You can't tell people to do something when their tyre company said you can't race on those tyres," he said on the grid minutes before the race.

The Minardi team principal Paul Stoddart said he had decided to race his two cars after Jordan broke ranks over the tyre issue. "This is not a race, this is a farce," Stoddart said. "No one is going to take this race seriously today. Formula One has done some crazy things recently - this one today will have far-reaching complications.

"The wrongs start at the top."

One of those men at the top was asked about the future of Formula One in the United States, and the future of Michelin in Formula One. Ecclestone said: "Not good, on both counts."