Norbert Haug defends Pirelli after Schumacher’s criticisms

On the evening of the Bahrain Grand Prix, which saw him climb to tenth place after starting from 22nd position, Michael Schumacher did not mince his words regarding the Pirelli tires, lamenting that everyone has to drive well below the limits of the driver and, in particular, the car to preserve the tires.

After Paul Hembery, the competition director at the Milanese manufacturer, it is now Norbert Haug’s turn, the head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, to defend the Italian tires to the German press, highlighting their contribution to the spectacle for now two seasons: « The tires are a challenge for everyone. […] In general, what we have created in Formula One is a very good product; there have been very good races, we have had four winners and six different teams on the podium. It’s a great competition, and we are thrilled to already be among the winners. »

In China, the star-branded team had brilliantly established itself, benefiting partly from milder temperatures for the tires, whereas the W03, like its predecessor, seems to suffer from excessive tire degradation once the mercury rises. Norbert Haug, however, understands the frustration expressed by his driver, who has only two points in the world championship despite a rather encouraging start to the season: « Naturally, for a driver, there is always a certain frustration when he feels he can go faster but is forced to be economical: it is not necessarily in his competitive nature. »