When fans are asked what the worst race in Formula 1 history was, many will point straight to the 2005 United States Grand Prix.

The race was such a disaster that it is still pointed to as a main reason for F1’s continued lack of popularity in America. How did things go so badly wrong that 70% of the grid (all drivers running Michelin tyres) had to retire on the formation lap before the race even started?

The trigger point for the chaotic weekend that was to ensue was a crash for Ralf Schumacher’s Toyota in practice at Turn 13, the high-banked final corner, because of a left-rear tyre failure.

Schumacher had suffered an identical shunt during the previous year’s Grand Prix and on both occasions had been lucky to escape life-threatening injuries, albeit whilst still suffering from concussion.

Michelin had identified that their tyres were unable to cope with the loads from the banking and quickly sent a new set over, a spec used in the Spanish Grand Prix, but this would fail to solve the issue. At this point, Michelin had no idea what was causing the problem and thus couldn’t guarantee the safety of its 14 drivers for more than 10 laps at full speed.

This created a huge dilemma for race director Charlie Whiting. Michelin teams wanted a chicane put in place, but changing the track layout would make the event a non-championship race. This would be extremely unfair on the six Bridgestone drivers who were able to take Turn 13 at full speed without any problems.

Whiting initially suggested that the Michelin cars simply ran Turn 13 at a reduced speed, or stopped every 10 laps, but this was quickly dismissed as not feasible. A meeting was held on the morning of the race between the team principals, Michelin’s technical representatives, Bernie Ecclestone and Speedway President Tony George. Those present agreed that a chicane was the only solution.

However, Ferrari Principal Jean Todt and FIA President Max Mosley had failed to show up and did not agree with the idea of a chicane. Todt claimed, perhaps fairly, that he shouldn’t be punished for a problem that was not his doing, whilst Mosley threatened that the Grand Prix would simply be cancelled if a chicane were implemented.

The rest of the teams continued to look for a solution, and eventually decided that a race held with a chicane and without Ferrari was the only sensible option. The race would not be FIA-sanctioned, meaning that FIA Staff including Charlie Whiting and safety car driver Bernd Maylander would have to be replaced, however the group had appointed delegates to fill these roles.

Unfortunately, Mosley once again failed to allow the teams to race without FIA permission, stating that running such a race would threaten the future of all FIA-regulated motorsport in the USA. This was the final straw for the Michelin teams, who all reluctantly agreed that they would be unable to race.

Minardi Team Principal Paul Stoddart was also keen to withdraw his Bridgestone cars, but after hearing that the rival Jordan team were planning to race, he would begrudgingly enter the team alongside Jordan and Ferrari, adding up to a field of just 6 cars.

As per FIA race procedure, all 20 cars took the formation lap, before we had the bizarre scene where most of the field dived into the pitlane, including the top 4 in qualifying, to leave an almost empty starting grid.

Fans at the track had no idea that most of the field was not going to race and their reaction to the scene was one of fury. Loud booing ensued and once the race got underway, beer cans and water bottles were thrown onto the circuit.

The race itself was a shambolic and uneventful affair. Michael Schumacher led home Rubens Barrichello for a Ferrari 1-2, whilst Tiago Monteiro claimed the first podium of his career for Jordan in third. It was the immediate aftermath of the Grand Prix which made the headlines, rather than the result.

The FIA released several statements in the following days to justify the disastrous events of the Grand Prix weekend. Max Mosley said that a chicane was not possible because it had been untested and would therefore be deemed unsafe.

The seven Michelin teams were also charged and found guilty of not being in possession of suitable tyres for the race and for wrongfully refusing to allow their cars to start the race, though both charges would be overturned on July 22.

Michelin’s reputation was significantly damaged by the events. Financially, they offered to refund all fans who had brought tickets for Sunday’s race, whilst also purchasing 20,000 tickets for the 2006 United States Grand Prix to distribute to spectators of the 2005 event. It was also clear that their future as an F1 tyre supplier was in jeopardy and after the 2006 season, they withdrew from the sport.

The Grand Prix in Indianapolis also had no future after such a farce. The 2007 US Grand Prix would be the last held in Indiana, with F1 failing to return to the States until racing at the Circuit of the Americas in 2012.

Even today, many American racing fans refuse to watch the sport after the embarrassment of 12 years ago and Liberty Media still have work to do to repair F1’s reputation in such a key market.