Red flag tyre rule tweak good for F1 – Pirelli

Pirelli has admitted a rule tweak could have ensured an exciting finish to the weekend’s Monaco grand prix.

With leader Sebastian Vettel’s tyres wearing, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button were shaping up to challenge him when the race was red-flagged for the Vitaly Petrov crash.

On the grid, Vettel was allowed to change to a fresh set of tyres and he duly strolled to victory.

Acting as a steward in Monaco, sports car driver Allan McNish told the Guardian that at Le Mans, tyre changes are not similarly allowed during red flag periods.

“Even if you have bodywork damage you can’t repair it, you’ve got to restart the race as you finished, so that if you’ve got a good strategy or a bad strategy, you have to restart as if nothing had happened,” he said.

Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s motor sport director, admits it might be a good idea if F1 adopts a similar rule.

“I had a lot of people shouting at me from the boats around the harbour, saying ‘Why were they allowed to change?'” he is quoted as saying by The Sun.

“It (Vettel’s tyre change) took away something from the race.  I don’t really understand why they are allowed to change tyres.  It was a shame,” he added.

© RIF | GMM