Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery has repeated at Korea that F1's sole tyre suppliers need to have more relevant tyre testing if it is to develop solid and reliable tyres for the 2014 season.
Apparently Mercedes was asked by Pirelli to help them work through the issues that Pirelli experienced in the last few races, so they conducted a 'secret' 1000 kilometre tyre test at Barcelona after the last race.
Apparently Mercedes was asked by Pirelli to help them work through the issues that Pirelli experienced in the last few races, so they conducted a 'secret' 1000 kilometre tyre test at Barcelona after the last race.
I don't understand why Pirelli requested the help of Mercedes, but not tell the FIA about it, why are other teams only finding out about it now? makes no sense.
If Red Bull or Ferrari had performed such a test then they would get away with only a slap on the wrist, but because it's Mercedes, I'm expecting some kind of punishment.
Losing downforce when following another car isn't a recent phenomena. It's been a factor since wings were first introduced.
Yeah and its a bigger issue now then it was then even if it was a issue back then aswell, i never said it wasnt but the amount of downforce you have today and the amount you lose today is gr8er then it was back then, back then you couldnt rely on the aero like you do today.
SectorOne wrote:Bye bye Pirelli. Very nice job with the last tires artificially penalizing the best cars on the grid and letting subpar cars completely dominate the races.
Welcome Hankook, i look forward to your contribution.
Its intresting how ppl somehow think Hankook will do a different tyre compared to that off Pirelli when its the exact same ppl running the F1 show now as it was in 2010...
Even Pirelli has said they will make a harder tyre for next with rules changes so if Hankook does a hard tyre for next year it will be the same as if Pirelli had done it but then Hankook will also do softer tyres again in 15 and onwards cause thats what will be orderd.
Apparently Mercedes was asked by Pirelli to help them work through the issues that Pirelli experienced in the last few races, so they conducted a 'secret' 1000 kilometre tyre test at Barcelona after the last race.
I don't understand why Pirelli requested the help of Mercedes, but not tell the FIA about it, why are other teams only finding out about it now? makes no sense.
If Red Bull or Ferrari had performed such a test then they would get away with only a slap on the wrist, but because it's Mercedes, I'm expecting some kind of punishment.
It's not outside the rules though. It is strange that they didn't tell the FIA (if true) but if you are a tyre manufacturer and want to get to the bottom of why your tyres degrade so much when overworked, surely you would choose to work with the team that is overworking the tyres the most?
Also from a PR point of view if you were Pirelli and Merc was only suffering to the degree that Red Bull have been, rather than completely wrecking the tyres, then your tyres wouldn't be perceived as being as bad as they currently are. From a PR perspective if they aren't allowed to make any changes then it makes sense for them to help Mercedes improve just a little bit to improve perception of the tyres.
That said if it had been Red Bull, as they are leading the championship and have had a pretty easy time of it over the last few years (relatively), then I would have screamed blue murder so I could be being biased with this. I do believe that the tyre data, as much as possible, should be shared so that Merc don't get an exclusive benefit.
Why not all the teams? The way you prevent bias is to not give one team an advantage or disadvantage. I'm sure, if asked, all teams would have happily stayed to give feedback. That is the issue.
Even if it was legal (and it seems it is) to call a team and to do a private test, it is a very poor decision for Pirelli to call Mercedes. After all the controversies and talks regartding tyres, durabilty, degradation, teams who don't have a clue how to make the car work with the tyres you call for a private test a team that it is well known for struggling with the tyres. I would have called Caterham or Marussia - of course they don't have the best car (not that Mercedes is the best) but they still have 4 wheels, an engine, a driver and a team capable of gathering data.
This whole thing smells fishy. And I don't like fish.
Last edited by stefan_ on 26 May 2013, 12:09, edited 1 time in total.
"...and there, very much in flames, is Jacques Laffite's Ligier. That's obviously a turbo blaze, and of course, Laffite will be able to see that conflagration in his mirrors... he is coolly parking the car somewhere safe."Murray Walker, San Marino 1985
Cam wrote:Why not all the teams? The way you prevent bias is to not give one team an advantage or disadvantage. I'm sure, if asked, all teams would have happily stayed to give feedback. That is the issue.
According to the autosport article the rule is implied to be that they can select one team, not all.
I agree with Stefan. This smells. Regardless of rules, it should have been transparent with all teams notified. Mercedes of course got a massive advantage here. This has politics all over it. If Merc win, they're be a mutiny.
Edit. I can't help but wonder what the teams that defended the tyres think of this now. Can they speak out when they themselves called no changes due to "rules". What a tangled web indeed.
stefan_ wrote:Even if it was legal (and it seems it is) to call a team and to do a private test, it is a very poor decision for Pirelli to call Mercedes. After all the controversies and talks regartding tyres, durabilty, degradation, teams who don't have a clue how to make the car work with the tyres you call for a private test a team that it is well known for struggling with the tyres. I would have called Caterham or Marussia - of course they don't have the best car (not that Mercedes is the best) but they still have 4 wheels, an engine, a driver and a team capable of gathering data.
This whole thing smells fishy. And I don't like fish.
According to this article Ferrari have already had a test with Pirelli after the Bahrain GP, and they seem fine at coping with the tyres, so I don't understand the big issue here.
Dyanxx wrote:According to this article Ferrari have already had a test with Pirelli after the Bahrain GP, and they seem fine at coping with the tyres, so I don't understand the big issue here. http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2013/05/ ... e-testing/
According to that article "it is believed" that Ferrari made a test (the talks are that they used the 2010 car and it was for the GP2 tyres). Then why wasn't any fuss about it, considering the fact that RB are the first ones who make noise in cases like this and Ferrari are their direct opponents in the championship?
"...and there, very much in flames, is Jacques Laffite's Ligier. That's obviously a turbo blaze, and of course, Laffite will be able to see that conflagration in his mirrors... he is coolly parking the car somewhere safe."Murray Walker, San Marino 1985
can somone help me to understand? why pirelli is still in f1??
I don't know if is Pirelli fault or if they are simply doing what they were asked to do but from a business point of view this is a completely train wreck. everyone now complains about the pirelli tyres.
half of the f1 fans now hate pirelli. i don't get the point to stay in f1...
The short, almost arrogant, replies from Hembrey say it all really. Rules is rules, I accept that. But when you supply all teams, there is a right and wrong way to do business.
Dyanxx wrote:
According to this article Ferrari have already had a test with Pirelli after the Bahrain GP, and they seem fine at coping with the tyres, so I don't understand the big issue here.