Pirelli does not want a manufacturers’ war in F1

Since 2007, Formula 1 has not experienced a “war” between manufacturers. Indeed, if in 2006, Michelin and Bridgestone were competing, from 2007, Bridgestone was designated the sole manufacturer for Formula 1. Pirelli succeeded the Japanese brand at the beginning of 2011.

Some observers and former F1 drivers have often described F1 as a lottery this year, particularly because of the tires that degrade in stages. For them, the arrival of new manufacturers could be a good thing for the competition.

Nevertheless, Paul Hembery, the head of competition at Pirelli, is not in favor of this step backward: «We work for the sport. The sport must decide what it wants. If it wants a tire war and a return to races with processions, as was the case in the early 2000s when viewership dropped, that’s one approach. It’s not up to us to decide.»

Hembery believes that it wouldn’t make sense given the cost reduction efforts that have been in place for a few years: « We will wait and see if the rules change. If they change, then we will reconsider (our commitment). At the moment, the teams are clearly not interested in a tire manufacturer war. What does it really mean to have a tire manufacturer war? If it means spending 100 million euros to be half a second faster and you can’t even prove you have the best tire, because it’s impossible to compare two cars with different tires, then it’s pointless.

Hembery also cited the case of the 2005 United States Grand Prix held in Indianapolis with only 6 cars on the grid – those fitted with Bridgestone tires at the time, Ferrari, Jordan, and Minardi – because Michelin had encountered an issue with its tires and hadn’t received authorization to supply new tires to the teams: « All the teams I spoke to don’t want a war between manufacturers. They see it as a waste of money in an area they cannot control, which nonetheless has a significant impact on the public. Especially since it could cause safety issues as manufacturers push to their limits for performance. As we saw in Indianapolis, that’s the paradox of a manufacturers’ war. I don’t think it’s good for manufacturers, and certainly not for the sport either. »

The question of a return to a tire supplier war has been surfacing for a few months because the contract binding Pirelli to Formula 1 will expire at the end of 2013, and the rules could therefore change as early as 2014. Some rumors have even suggested a possible return of Michelin to F1 in 2014, under the sole condition, always demanded by the French manufacturer, of having multiple tire suppliers.

If Paul Hembery admits that the teams are not in favor of such a measure, this is not the case for the drivers, especially Michael Schumacher, who has been very critical of Pirelli tires since the beginning of the year. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion stated during the FOTA fans’ forum in Stuttgart, held alongside the German Grand Prix, that he would like to see a return of a tire war because it would lead to having good tires.