“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 in today’s USA Grand Prix.

“Following Ralf Schumacher’s accident on Friday morning, we were advised by Michelin that none of the tyres that were available to the teams could be used unless the vehicle speed in turn 13 was reduced. Without this Michelin did not consider the tire to be safe to be used for the race.

“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.

“After final data from Michelin became available at 06.30 on Sunday morning it became clear that Michelin were not able to guarantee the safety of the drivers. Numerous discussions and meetings took place to find a safe solution to the problem. Every possibility for the race to go ahead in a safe manner was explored. The only practical solution was for a chicane to be installed prior to Turn 13 and nine of the teams were prepared to run under these conditions even forgoing championship points or by allowing non-Michelin teams to take top positions on the grid.

“Unfortunately all proposals were rejected by the FIA.

“Safety is always the first concern of any team and the FIA. Regrettably the teams were obliged to follow Michelin’s requirements not to race.

“We are totally aware that the USA is an important market for Formula One and there is an obligation for Formula One to promote itself in a positive and professional manner. It is sad that we couldn’t showcase Formula One in the manner we would have liked today.”

In light of Friday's two failures on the Toyotas, Michelin told the FIA that they are unsure the tyres used in qualifying are safe to race unless the speeds in Turns 12 and 13 can be reduced, and that they will not allow the tyres to be used on the existing track layout.

In response, the FIA has outlined a number of options available to Michelin, the most obvious being to instruct their teams to run at reduced speeds through the final corner, while not obstructing other cars.

If Michelin teams were to run the new tyres they would face a penalty. The FIA stated that this was unlikely to be exclusion from the race, but that it would be heavy enough to ensure teams were not tempted to change tyres after qualifying at future events.

Another option available to the teams would be running the existing tyres, but changing them frequently if they could show this was needed on safety grounds and if no competitive advantage was gained. Using more than their allocated tyres could, however, present further complications.

Finally, the FIA ruled out the possibility of modifying the track to slow the entry into Turn 13, as this would be outside the rules and also unfair to Michelin’s Bridgestone competitors who have had no problems with their tyres.

After receiving these guidelines, Michelin went back to the FIA on Sunday morning, repeating their requests to have the speeds in Turns 12 and 13 somehow reduced.

In his response FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting stated: "As explained in our earlier letter, your teams have a choice of running more slowly in Turn 12/13, running a tire not used in qualifying (which would attract a penalty) or repeatedly changing a tire (subject to valid safety reasons). It is for them to decide. We have nothing to add."

What the Michelin teams will actually do remains unclear. Some are likely to be unhappy if they have to run different tyres to those they tested all through practice, and there has even been speculation that some might simply take the start and then retire. More news to follow as developments occur.

For more on the Formula One tire regulations click here.