Limping in: Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton enters the pit with a puncture during the British GP at Silverstone on Sunday. - EPA
LONDON: Ferrari, Force India and Lotus, the three teams at the centre of the Pirelli British Grand Prix tyre storm, came out on Monday in favour of changes to ensure no repeat of the dramatic blow-outs at Silverstone.
Formula One was plunged into its latest crisis after dangerous tyre failures hit Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, while he led the race, Jean-Eric Vergne of Toro Rosso and Sergio Perez of McLaren.
Ferrari, Lotus and Force India came out fighting after being attacked for being “short-sighted” for blocking Pirelli’s planned introduction of new tyre constructions.
The claim was levelled by Red Bull’s technical chief Adrian Newey, who said Pirelli had come up with a way to address the worrying issue of tyre safety this season, only for the three F1 outfits to vote against any change.
He explained: “Pirelli came up with a solution for that, with a different construction, and that was being offered initially for Montreal.
“But two or three teams vetoed that because they were worried it would suit some other teams more than it would suit them.
“As a result of that short-sightedness, Formula One ended up putting up the worrying performance it did (at Silverstone) and concerns about driver safety.”
Drivers had even threatened to go on strike if the issue was not resolved.
F1’s ruling body the FIA have called Pirelli to an urgent meeting of the F1 Sporting Working Group on Wednesday at the Nuerburgring where the German Grand Prix is scheduled to begin with free practice on Friday morning.
Formula One was plunged into its latest crisis after dangerous tyre failures hit Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, while he led the race, Jean-Eric Vergne of Toro Rosso and Sergio Perez of McLaren.
Ferrari, Lotus and Force India came out fighting after being attacked for being “short-sighted” for blocking Pirelli’s planned introduction of new tyre constructions.
The claim was levelled by Red Bull’s technical chief Adrian Newey, who said Pirelli had come up with a way to address the worrying issue of tyre safety this season, only for the three F1 outfits to vote against any change.
He explained: “Pirelli came up with a solution for that, with a different construction, and that was being offered initially for Montreal.
“But two or three teams vetoed that because they were worried it would suit some other teams more than it would suit them.
“As a result of that short-sightedness, Formula One ended up putting up the worrying performance it did (at Silverstone) and concerns about driver safety.”
Drivers had even threatened to go on strike if the issue was not resolved.
F1’s ruling body the FIA have called Pirelli to an urgent meeting of the F1 Sporting Working Group on Wednesday at the Nuerburgring where the German Grand Prix is scheduled to begin with free practice on Friday morning.
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