Actually Bonecruncher, I believe you will find that the parade lap counts as one lap of the race. That is certainly what the commentary team reported yesterday.

In defence of Michelin, they were caught out by the diamond cutting of that section. Perhaps they should not have been, and undoubtedly they will be blamed by many.

I am not sure that this is entirely fair. Who, in the history of the world, has never made a mistake? I believe that the track grinding was not notified before their arrival, so there was no chance to test tyres on any similar surface.

The mistake having been made, however, Michelin offered to fly in alternative tyres. This offer was refused by the FIA.

The Michelin shod teams offered to run without gaining championship points, with the Bridgestone runners at front of grid, if they could change their tyres, for the benefit of fans. This offer was refused by the FIA.

A chicane was requested, with the race run under similar no points conditions. This was refused by the FIA.

No one seems to have considered my suggestion that the race be run with that section yellow flagged throughout, which, IMHO would have disadvantaged nobody.

The obvious bad guys here are the sport's governing body, who have the power to change rules for safety reasons, but chose not to.

No blame can possibly attach to the drivers, who had to obey orders, as witness David Coulthard's radio call to his team on the warm up lap, asking to be allowed to race in spite of the high risk to life and limb.

I have never much liked Bernie Eccleston, and I can only hope that the legions of lawyers currently girding up their loins will all descend on him and his colleagues in the FIA.

That's the end of the rant. Sorry folks, but I have just seen a sport that I have loved since the days of Moss and Fangio virtually destroyed.

Don T.