Pirelli wants to stop wasting tires

During a Formula One Grand Prix, each driver is allocated a total of 11 sets of slick tires per weekend – 5 soft tires and 6 hard tires – according to a schedule defined by the regulations. On Friday, drivers receive two sets of hard tires and one set of soft tires: they must return one set of hard tires after Free Practice 1 and the rest after Free Practice 2. They then receive 4 new sets of each type of tire, with the obligation to return one of each type after Free Practice 3. Counting the 5 sets of intermediate tires and the 3 sets of wet tires provided by Pirelli, the Italian manufacturer brings no less than 1824 tires to each event for all the drivers: a situation Pirelli would like to see change in 2012.

The strange situation we have to face is that at the end of each race, every team has unused new tires: there’s something wrong. […] The reason is actually very simple: it’s because they only use one set of the hardest tires in race situations, possibly two if it’s a leading team and they used them in Q1. So, in all cases, there is always at least one set of tires remaining or, for the lower-ranked teams, two sets of new tires, explains Paul Hembery, head of Pirelli sport.

The Briton is therefore advocating for a redefinition of the tire allocation for 2012, either by replacing a set of hard tires with a set of soft tires for qualifying and the race, or by simply removing a set of hard tires altogether. This would allow them to transport around a hundred fewer tires per weekend and thus achieve savings: « For the moment, if they want to keep the same regulations, we will go and tell the FIA: « There is no reason to have six sets of hard tires and five of soft ones; we could just as well have five of each type only and save money ». We are already supplying the teams with an additional set of intermediate tires […]. The FIA has a role to play in terms of regulation, we need to have a simulation from them, whereas for the moment, this is an expense that benefits neither the teams, nor the sport, nor Pirelli: it’s nonsensical. »

But Pirelli will mainly have to convince the teams whose unanimous agreement is necessary to modify the regulation: « More people need to be around the table to clarify things because, at the moment, some people think it benefits others. We won’t instantly get unanimous approval for such a change. […] The teams have currently said they don’t want to change anything. We would like to go back to them and say that currently, we have too many tires, and it is useless to bring tires they won’t use. We know we need to find a solution accepted by everyone because it’s just wasteful. »

Paul Hembery, however, assures that not everyone is against it but that sometimes it’s easier to change nothing and even considers, to try to convince the reluctant, proposing a return of qualifying tires by providing teams with three sets of soft tires, two sets of hard tires, and one set of “qualifying” tires for the qualifications and the race: The fans would like that but for the moment the teams are not convinced, which is fine with us. We are here to bring ideas and it’s up to other people to decide if they want to adopt them.