F1 News
Date: 24/January/2013
Pirelli has dismissed criticism
that its quick-wearing F1 tyres might be detrimental to the company’s image and
revealed that the teams have requested a greater level of uncertainly for 2013.
During Pirelli’s official
Motorsport launch in Milan, President and CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera said: “Everybody
in this business knows that to make very long lasting tyres is the easiest job.
“We ourselves have shown in many
races, such as F2 of F3, that our tyres can last the entire race. It is the
easiest possible product.
“But to make safe F1 tyres that last
in the range of 20-30 laps, at different racetracks around the world, and also create
close competition between the different tyre compounds - this is the biggest
challenge.”
Ex-Formula 1 star Jean Alesi,
revealed as a Pirelli ambassador at the launch, added: “It is extremely
difficult to make a tyre that lasts a few laps safety and as a driver you never
know when the performance drop will come.
“That is why the first seven races
of last year we saw strange scenarios, due to the different timing of the drop
in performance from one car to another.
“The teams didn’t really know if
they were able to make 18, 20 or 22 laps on each set of tyres and this two or
three lap window was critical. But as the season went on they found out how to
use the tyres.”
Tronchetti Provera agreed with
that assessment and revealed that the F1 team managers themselves felt the tyres
had become too predictable by the end of 2012.
“At the end of last season the
team managers asked me, together with [F1 boss] Bernie Ecclestone, ‘Please do
something, because everybody is too good now. They are using your tyres too correctly
and there is less fun, less amusement and less competition’.”
Pirelli, whose tyres have been
openly credited for improving the F1 show, took over the exclusive F1 contract
from Bridgestone at the start of 2011. Pirelli’s contract expires at the end of
this year, but they are keen to continue.
“We are obviously willing to
continue this adventure,” said Tronchetti Provera. “The teams are satisfied so
we think the partnership we have in Formula One is a win-win situation.
“For that reason, I am confident
we will reach a new agreement, but nothing yet.”
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