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From GMM
Tweaked Pirelli tires will not debut next time out in Montreal, it emerged on Wednesday.
Previously, it was believed Bernie Ecclestone had pushed through the planned changes for the Canadian grand prix, despite the opposition of some teams.
"I did it like the old days," the F1 chief executive was quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. "I told the teams that they should be united.
"Pirelli will modify its tires as planned," Ecclestone added.
But the 82-year-old was speaking prior to the explosion of the Mercedes 'secret' tire test scandal, where the German squad apparently tried the proposed changes at Barcelona just after the Spanish grand prix.
Red Bull and Ferrari lodged a formal protest, many other teams are furious, and the FIA is not ruling out penalties.
Pirelli is defensive. "Most of the tires that were tested (by Mercedes) were not relevant for this season," a spokesperson is quoted by German website motorsport-total.com.
"Mercedes had no advantage in Monaco."
Nevertheless, Pirelli spokesperson is also telling publications on Wednesday that the tweaked tires - reportedly featuring a kevlar belt rather than a steel one to minimise rear delaminations - will now not debut in Canada.
Instead, two "experimental" compounds will be tested by teams on Friday, which will then "hopefully" make their qualifying and race debut at Silverstone.
"We are taking this step for the sake of sporting equality," said the spokesperson.
UPDATE
Pirelli's move to merely test rather than race its tweaked tires in Canada is almost certainly due to the refusal of some teams to agree.
"We will not race tires that we have not tested first," Lotus team owner Gerard Lopez was quoted on Wednesday by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.
"And we will not allow tires that change the sporting hierarchy -- that would be simply unfair," he insisted.
"If there is suddenly a team winning that previously had problems with the tires, then the people at home would feel fooled and turn off the TV."
Lopez also said Lotus does not accept the changes on the grounds of safety.
"A tire that loses its tread is safer than a tire that bursts," he insisted.
"I don't see it (the safety aspect) as such a big deal -- it's still all about money and politics. But the spectators are not fools. If we are making decisions not on the race track but in offices and committees, then one day there will be no spectators left," added Lopez.
He also said Pirelli should stand tall rather than be defensive.
"Actually, they should stand up and say 'We built a good tire, a tire that was requested, so the teams will just have to adjust and build reasonable cars'," said Lopez.
Tweaked Pirelli tires will not debut next time out in Montreal, it emerged on Wednesday.
Previously, it was believed Bernie Ecclestone had pushed through the planned changes for the Canadian grand prix, despite the opposition of some teams.
"I did it like the old days," the F1 chief executive was quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. "I told the teams that they should be united.
"Pirelli will modify its tires as planned," Ecclestone added.
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| Photo: Pirelli |
But the 82-year-old was speaking prior to the explosion of the Mercedes 'secret' tire test scandal, where the German squad apparently tried the proposed changes at Barcelona just after the Spanish grand prix.
Red Bull and Ferrari lodged a formal protest, many other teams are furious, and the FIA is not ruling out penalties.
Pirelli is defensive. "Most of the tires that were tested (by Mercedes) were not relevant for this season," a spokesperson is quoted by German website motorsport-total.com.
"Mercedes had no advantage in Monaco."
Nevertheless, Pirelli spokesperson is also telling publications on Wednesday that the tweaked tires - reportedly featuring a kevlar belt rather than a steel one to minimise rear delaminations - will now not debut in Canada.
Instead, two "experimental" compounds will be tested by teams on Friday, which will then "hopefully" make their qualifying and race debut at Silverstone.
"We are taking this step for the sake of sporting equality," said the spokesperson.
UPDATE
Pirelli's move to merely test rather than race its tweaked tires in Canada is almost certainly due to the refusal of some teams to agree.
"We will not race tires that we have not tested first," Lotus team owner Gerard Lopez was quoted on Wednesday by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.
"And we will not allow tires that change the sporting hierarchy -- that would be simply unfair," he insisted.
"If there is suddenly a team winning that previously had problems with the tires, then the people at home would feel fooled and turn off the TV."
Lopez also said Lotus does not accept the changes on the grounds of safety.
"A tire that loses its tread is safer than a tire that bursts," he insisted.
"I don't see it (the safety aspect) as such a big deal -- it's still all about money and politics. But the spectators are not fools. If we are making decisions not on the race track but in offices and committees, then one day there will be no spectators left," added Lopez.
He also said Pirelli should stand tall rather than be defensive.
"Actually, they should stand up and say 'We built a good tire, a tire that was requested, so the teams will just have to adjust and build reasonable cars'," said Lopez.