Indianapolis (United States), June 20
Narain Karthikeyan finished fourth in the 73-lap United States Grand Prix, which was won by seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher of Germany. Schumacher's Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello of Brazil came second ahead of Portugal's Tiago Monteiro of Jordan.

The competition became a six-car race when seven teams pulled out over concerns over the safety of their Michelin tyres.

Even if fans derided US Grand Prix as a farce and a fiasco, Narain Karthikeyan had something to celebrate. The rookie's fourth place yesterday behind Portuguese team mate Tiago Monteiro in a race with just six cars after the rest decided not to start, made him the first Indian to score Formula One points.

''These are my first championship points in Formula One and it does not really matter how they come,'' said Karthikeyan. ''Points are points. This is the 28-year-old rookie's first finish in the points as it is for his team, Jordan, this year.

''This is the first time an Indian driver has scored points in Formula One, so I'm happy.'' The absence of the seven teams using Michelin tyres, deciding not to race after the French manufacturer said it could not guarantee the safety of the tyres, allowed Monteiro to become the first Portuguese on the podium.

''It was a weird race, a strange race, no one was there,'' said Monteiro. ''You had to finish, you had to be there. ''I wasn't joking, no-one on the track was kidding around. It was just fewer cars.'' ''Even if it was a weird situation, it's still a podium.'' Just six of the 20 cars took the start in one of the most bizarre races in Formula 1 history.

The Minardis of Christian Albers and Patrick Friesacher finished in fifth and sixth places.

All three teams who ran their cars, Ferrari, Jordan and Minardi, ran on Bridgestone tyres after six teams from rival tyre manufacturer Michelin withdrew from the race post the warm up lap and drove into their pit garages on Sunday.

The controversy that erupted on race day had begun on Friday when Ralf Schumacher driving a Toyota suffered a high-speed crash on the banked 330 kmph turn 13 of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Another high-speed blowout of a Michelin tyre on the Toyota during Friday's free practice led to an investigation by the French tyre company. Unable to replicate similar conditions in its test laboratory or find the root of the problem, Michelin advised the six teams to whom it supplies tyres to run them under higher pressures or run the risk of more blowouts.

Since Michelin were unable to guarantee the safety of the drivers and running tyres at higher pressures translated to slower laps, all Michelin users asked the sports governing body, the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile), to alter the racetrack on the high-speed turn 13 in question.

After failed negotiations between FIA and the rest of the teams, barring Ferrari, the Michelin-running teams decided to withdraw from the race after the mandatory warm-up lap.

Michelin's seven Formula One teams apologised today for a boycott that turned the US Grand Prix into a six-car farce, insisting safety was paramount. ''The Michelin teams deeply regret the position that they have been put in today and would like to apologise to all the spectators, TV viewers, Formula One fans and sponsors for not being able to take part,'' they said in a joint statement.

The seven teams who use the French company's tyres did not race due to concerns over safety after crashes in practice, leaving the race open to champions Ferrari, Jordan and Minardi who were on Bridgestone tyres.

''All the teams are confident in Michelin and trust their advice, as we know they are competent and responsible and their written instruction to us not to race unless changes to the circuit were made was accepted,'' they said.
The teams said final data from Michelin on Sunday morning made clear the company could not guarantee the drivers' safety.

Nine of the 10 teams asked for an additional chicane to be put in.

''Unfortunately all proposals were rejected by the FIA (the sport's ruling body),'' they said. ''It is sad that we couldn't showcase Formula One in the manner we would have liked today.''

World champion Michael Schumacher, who won what could be described as an empty victory at the US Grand Prix today, claimed his first win of the season ahead of Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello of Brazil, with both on Bridgestone tyres. They were never troubled by the much slower Jordan and Minardi drivers, who trailed in their wake.

Loud boos rang out from the stands at the Brickyard track, which were packed with an estimated 120,000 spectators, during and after the race. Many fans had left before the end.

''This is going to leave a long-lasting bitter taste in people's mouths,'' Red Bull driver David Coulthard told Britain's ITV television, “It's a very sad day for racing.''

''It's a big frustration for the whole team, the drivers, for Formula One in general,'' said Italian Jarno Trulli, who had taken his Toyota to pole position but never started. ''But we couldn't avoid this situation -- we were in danger and we knew it. It was very clear that Michelin runners couldn't race today.''