Towards a ban on electric blankets?

The teams are currently working with the FIA to determine how to reduce costs in Formula 1. One of the ideas that emerged from the discussions is the ban on the use of tire warmers.

This ban had already been discussed several years ago, but the teams had protested against this measure, citing safety concerns for drivers leaving the pits with cold tires.

If the ban is confirmed, Pirelli, the sole manufacturer for Formula 1 this year and until the end of 2013, could provide tires that work well even if they are not subject to “preheating.” Paul Hembery, the competition director at Pirelli, told *Autosport* that a quick decision would need to be made in order to create such tires: « This requires planning and you have to do it right, so if it’s something they (the F1 teams) want to implement, they need to decide quickly. »

The technical challenge of creating a new tire does not worry Pirelli; it is something that is perfectly feasible as long as time is given to the Italian manufacturer: « From what we have seen in the past, when we tried to discuss it, drivers tended to be concerned about such a measure, as they felt it would create a safety problem. From our perspective, yes we can do it but we need time – because it completely changes the compounds we use. »

Paul Hembery also suggested that this ban could be implemented in two stages, with the ban on the use of tire warmers for wet weather tires starting in 2013, followed by a ban on tire warmers for dry weather tires from 2014.

If Pirelli seems rather enthusiastic about designing new tires in case of a ban, other actors in the paddock are against this idea. This is notably the case for Michael Schumacher, questioned on the subject in Valencia: « I think cold tires are for categories that have less power, like maybe Formula Ford, Formula 3. But, to be honest, Formula 1, which is the pinnacle of motorsport, with the power we have, with the speeds we reach… no, I wouldn’t like this idea at all, and I don’t see the need or reason behind it. »

One of the arguments put forward to push for this ban is cost reduction, in terms of equipment and transport. But given the low weight and bulk these covers represent, one might question the real benefit of this measure. Ross Brawn, the head of the Mercedes AMG team, has expressed skepticism on the subject, as he believes that the financial argument put forward does not hold: « I do not think that from a financial point of view, they are that expensive. »