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The 2005 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on June 19, 2005 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race was highly controversial because only six cars competed; all fourteen of the cars using Michelin tyres retired after the parade lap due to a safety issue with their tyres and the newly resurfaced speedway, leaving only the teams using Bridgestone rubber — Ferrari, Minardi and Jordan — to start.
Following several tyre failures before the race, most spectacularly on Ralf Schumacher's Toyota during Friday practice, Michelin advised its seven customer teams that they could not safely race on the tyres provided for them. The FIA, the sport's governing body, refused to allow a chicane to be installed, maintaining that such rule changes would be grossly unfair to the Bridgestone-shod teams, who had come prepared with properly working tyres. The Michelin teams, unable to come to a compromise with the FIA did not participate in the race on safety grounds.
Of the six competitors, Ferrari's Michael Schumacher was the eventual winner. The result significantly boosted his championship standing, placing him third overall — no driver above him in the table took part in the race. The situation created enormous negative publicity for the sport of Formula One, especially in America, a market in which Formula One has struggled to establish itself over the last 20 years.
