Autobet and Las Palmas will refund todays losing wagers on F1

[Chillin-the-Most]

Pinny as well. Hopefully others will follow as this was a complete sham.

[Total Square]

what happened?

[Inside The Pylons]

Originally posted by: Total Square
what happened?

Somehow, harness drivers replaced the regular drivers at the last minute.

[Chillin-the-Most]

Only 6 cars STARTED the race. All the teams running Michelin tires sat out.
Seven teams pull out of US GP

Michelin officials face questions in the Indianapolis pitlane
Seven teams pulled out of the US GP to boos from 100,000 Indianpolis fans as a row over tyres destroyed the race.
Only Ferrari, Minardi and Jordan - on Bridgestone tyres - raced after Ferrari scuppered a last-ditch rescue plan.

Ferrari vetoed a plan agreed by all the other nine teams to introduce a chicane at the final corner, which had been causing problems for Michelin tyres.

The FIA refused to allow the change - and as a result the seven Michelin teams pulled out after the parade lap.

The crowd at Indianapolis were largely oblivious of the controversy - until Renault, McLaren, BAR, Williams, Red Bull, Toyota and Sauber all dived into the pit lane moments before the start.

To change the course to help some of the teams would be grossly unfair to those teams which have come to Indianapolis with the correct tyres

FIA statement

Michelin had advised its seven teams not to race without changes because of the tyre failure that lead Ralf Schumacher to smash into a wall in Friday practice.

Team officials and F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone - and at one point all 20 drivers - were locked in lengthy talks in a bid to save the race.

The teams emerged to say nine of them had agreed to race with a chicane at the accident spot - but F1 officials had already ruled out making a change to the track.

"To change the course in order to help some of the teams with a performance problem caused by their failure to bring suitable equipment to the race would be a breach of the rules and grossly unfair to those teams which have come to Indianapolis with the correct tyres," the FIA said.

Team officials seemed to hang on the hope that track bosses would make the changes anyway, and all 20 drivers took to the track for the parade lap on the proviso they would only pass the start if they got word the chicane was installed.

But start came and went without news of the change, and the teams immediately pulled out.

The crisis began on Friday after Toyota drivers Schumacher and Ricardo Zonta crashed at the same spot on the final bend and despite tests, Michelin were unable to "understand or reproduce" the tyre failure that caused the crash.

The company wanted to fly in new tyres from its factory in France, but International Automobile Federation (FIA) rules introduced this season, prohibit the introduction of a new tyre part-way through a Grand Prix weekend.

That left teams and drivers convinced the only safe solution was to build a chicane on the banked final corner, where the crash happened.

If the race had gone ahead, Toyota's Jarno Trulli would have been on pole after qualifying fastest on Saturday, ahead of McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen, with BAR's Jenson Button in third place.

It is believed that the race result will stand and championship points will be awarded.

[Chillin-the-Most]

I am told Bet Jamaica will as well so therefore I guess Oly.

[Chillin-the-Most]

add 5 Dimes.

[Fatl]

What about winning wagers?

[The Doctor]

What a disaster.

[DrunkenGoon]

Who's showing this race... I thing it would be kinda fun to watch....

"There goes another car...oh no, it's the same guy damn it!"

[Fatl]

Speed had it live, TSN will show it at Midnight.

[Brown sugar]

Olympic cancelled the winning wagers and those who would have won got their account permanently closed for "manipulating our services". I have to say this was the last book I would have expected this kind behaviour. Needles to say say I´m very disappointed. I always had the impression that if you can´t trust Spiro you can´t trust anybody in this business.

[Hartley]

Only 6 drivers competed. You can't expect a book to pay out top 8 when there aren't 8 drivers. As for Podium (which in Europe would be "place" betting), they used the horse racing rule which stated when there are less than 8 competitors only top 2 are paid out.

All wagers on drivers who didn't compete were refunded.

Seems fair to me.

[skin]

Hartley,

Acoording to official FIA rules a car is deemed to have competed if it lines up for the formation lap. All 20 cars started the formation lap therefore all 20 were deemed to have competed in the eyes of the FIA.

[KentBrockman]

I´m in the same situation as Brown Sugar (account closed and my Top-8 bets cancelled)

It was decided minutes before the start, that the Michelin teams won´t participate, so Olympic has absolutely no right to cancel the bets, which were made hours before the start (in my case two and a half) - if someone has placed a bet after it was known, it´s another story.

James from Tip-Ex has summed up the situation ( http://www.tip-ex.com/previews/USGP190605.htm - his recommendation was the reason for my bets) and every other book has paid - nobody knew prior to the start what would happen !!!

[Inside The Pylons]

Originally posted by: KentBrockman
It was decided minutes before the start, that the Michelin teams won´t participate, so Olympic has absolutely no right to cancel the bets, which were made hours before the start (in my case two and a half) - if someone has placed a bet after it was known, it´s another story.

Now the harness drivers have taken control of Olympic.

[Brown sugar]

It´s one thing to find a rule to cancel a winning wager AFTER the race is over, but to accuse customer for "manipulating their service" and permanently close the account is ridicolous. Of course, they would never had done it had Schumacher not won the race. I had a wager on him winning the race and to place top 3. Common sense tells me that cancelling all the wagers regarding the race in this situation is somewhat acceptable but blaming customer for anything is something I didn´t expect from my all time favourite sportsbook.

[Brown sugar]

And yes, at least some other books have payed for his win.

[alm]

Brown Sugar, I don't think Spiro is around the office today so don't get too worked up.

As far as the start FIA has no say in wagering rules.

IMO, most wagers should be paid that didn't involve matchups unless something is stated otherwise.

[Hartley]

You can't have it both ways IMO. Bets are placed in the assumption of fairness to both the books and the bettors. For all those who are happy that books are cancelling wagers on drivers who retired before the actual start you can't say "pay me for the others that had no chance of losing also". That's the bottom line. If you bet on Tiger Woods. He takes a tee shot and then walks off the course in protest to prove a point you can't expect to be paid for any bets against him and cancel any wagers on him.

I think everyone would agree that if a bet is no contest (i.e. the top 8 bet) then it should be cancelled - period!