14/05/2013
NEWS STORY
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In the wake of the outcry that followed the Spanish Grand Prix, Pirelli is to make changes to its tyres as early as the Canadian Grand Prix.
The news came via Twitter this morning, with Pirelli Motorsport boss Paul Hembery tweeting: "From Canada changes to be made to bring back 2 to 3 stops. Some structural changes combining elements 2012 and 2013 products."
In a subsequent tweet he added: "Changes made in interests of sport."
In a race that saw no less than 77 pit stops, drivers, fans and TV commentators were left similarly confused. In their efforts to conserve their tyres, drivers were lapping slower than GP2 cars had lapped during qualifying, hardly the best advert for the pinnacle of motorsport.
Having pointed out to his team that he had just been overtaken by a Williams, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, who started from the front row, admitted; "I can't drive any slower" when warned about the condition of his tyres.
Although Pirelli is fulfilling a mandate from the sport's powers that be, asked to produce tyres that deliberately degrade therefore forcing drivers to make more pit stops and adopt a more strategic approach, it is widely felt the Italian manufacturer has gone too far.
Having previously criticised the new compounds, Dietrich Mateschitz, who owns the Red Bull and Toro Rosso teams, has been highly critical, as has F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
However, speaking on Monday, Hembery, warned that any changes might play into the hands of Red Bull, a scenario that rivals teams will no doubt be aware of.
Any changes have to be approved by the teams who are notoriously self-serving. While they might talk about 'putting on a show' and 'entertaining the fans' when talking at FOTA meetings, the fact is they exist to win, preferably in as dominant a fashion as possible.