![\"Pirelli-P-Zero-Hard-ORANGE-6\"](\"https:\/\/www.racinginfocus.com\/rif\/gallery\/f1-2013-rif-images\/f1-2013-Pirelli-tyre\/Pirelli-P-Zero-Hard-ORANGE-6.jpg\")
With that, he summed up the situation in F1 at present: Pirelli’s unprecedentedly heavily degrading tyres are confusing even the sport’s drivers.<\/p>\nThere is an angry ‘T-word’ on everybody’s lips after Sunday’s puzzling and painful Spanish grand prix.<\/p>\n
“Can anyone tell me what’s going on?” an exasperated Paul di Resta asked his team during the race in Barcelona.<\/p>\n
With that, he summed up the situation in F1 at present: Pirelli’s unprecedentedly heavily degrading tyres are confusing even the sport’s drivers.<\/p>\n
Lewis Hamilton, having qualified on the front row, sounded amazed, sarcastic and incensed when he informed his Mercedes bosses that “I’ve been passed by a Williams now”.<\/p>\n
Only 24 hours earlier, the same Williams had failed to make it out of ‘Q1’, while many were tipping a Mercedes victory.<\/p>\n
“When we’re going round three seconds slower than a GP2 car did in qualifying, and only six seconds quicker than a GP3 car did in the race, there’s something wrong,” said McLaren’s Jenson Button.<\/p>\n
Hamilton, asked to slow down to protect his tyres during Sunday’s race, replied that he couldn’t go any slower “otherwise I’m going at walking pace”.<\/p>\n
“That is the way the sport has gone to improve overtaking,” he told reporters afterwards.\u00a0 “It is for the public to judge.”<\/p>\n
Until now, Pirelli has vigorously defended its mandate, having come into F1 tasked with spicing up the action by supplying tyres that will force multiple pitstops per driver.<\/p>\n
But, amid the post-race vitriol in Spain from both inside and outside the paddock, motor sport director Paul Hembery announced that Pirelli will now make changes.<\/p>\n
“It’s too late for Monaco but we’d look to change things for Silverstone,” he said.<\/p>\n
Gerhard Berger, a former grand prix winner and team co-owner, explained: “They can’t go on like this.<\/p>\n
“Every 14 days it’s just negative advertising for them.\u00a0 And the fans no longer know their stuff.”<\/p>\n
In short, the pressure has built to tipping point, spurred on by vocal opponents like Red Bull, and also the media.<\/p>\n
“Is this really a formula one world championship?” said Nicola Pohl in the mass-circulation German newspaper Bild.<\/p>\n
She quoted Red Bull team boss Christian Horner saying: “It’s like chess now.<\/p>\n
“And chess is not necessarily a sport that has many fans.”<\/p>\n
Hembery is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport: “In the last two years, the public has supported us.\u00a0 The races have become much more exciting.<\/p>\n
“But the criticism has reached a level where we can no longer be indifferent.”<\/p>\n
However, not everyone supports a major change.\u00a0 Apparently Ferrari and Force India are quite happy with the 2013 tyres, as is – obviously – Lotus.<\/p>\n
“It’s like football,” team owner Gerard Lopez said.\u00a0 “As soon as one team is always hitting the post, the discussion becomes making the goals a bit bigger.”<\/p>\n
Another factor is that if Pirelli makes significant compound or structure changes, they want a day of testing prior to Silverstone.<\/p>\n
“They’ll never get it through,” said Sauber team manager Beat Zehnder, “because all the teams would have to agree.”<\/p>\n
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