Pirelli is preparing to test a harder-compound tyre, as criticism of the 2012 'lottery' fires up. The dilemma for F1's tyre supplier is that it was specifically asked to spice up the show with heavily degrading tyres, and the six different winners so far this season proves the Italian marque met the brief. On the other hand, the purists are moaning that the unpredictability could now drive away the real fans. "We think it's absolutely great when people are talking about us," motor sport director […]

McLaren's Jenson Button has named Lotus as the team to beat in Monaco. After Romain Grosjean was second fastest in both practice sessions on Thursday, Button's teammate Lewis Hamilton concurred that the "Lotus looks pretty good". "Normally, there are seven tenths between the two tyre compounds," said the 2008 world champion. "Jenson was only four tenths ahead of Grosjean." Button agreed: "Whenever they are going out, they are at the front. So I think that at the moment the Lotus is the car to beat," […]

Although Pirelli’s super-soft tyre compound is making it’s debut at this weekends Monaco Grand Prix, Pirelli believe a one-stop tyre strategy could be used by some drivers who wish to utilize the many varying strategies open to them throughout the race. With the Monte-Carlo track surface the least abrasive on the 2012 calendar, tyre wear is expected to be at its lowest throughout the weekend. The soft tyre compound, which is making its fifth appearance of 2012, is predicted to be able to last around […]

F1's current unbalance of power will eventually settle, leaving the best teams at the front of the pack. That is the view of Ross Brawn, despite Pirelli chief Paul Hembery predicting that Barcelona could crown a fifth different winning team and driver this weekend. But Mercedes chief Brawn thinks the thrills and spills will ultimate settle. "In the end, the best will prevail," he is quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, "because they will get it right with the tyres more often. "It may […]

Pirelli’s new tyres for the 2012 season have undeniably made the racing more exciting, making the drivers’ ability to control them one of the most important aspects of the race. For this weekends Spanish Grand Prix, Pirelli are bringing the hard (silver) and the soft (yellow) tyres, a decision which could see varying strategies as the weekend unfolds. For the first four races of the season, there has been no gap between the tyres Pirelli have brought with them to each race. Either they had […]

Michael Schumacher paid a visit to the Pirelli motorhome at Mugello. The seven time world champion was heavily critical of the Italian supplier's 2012 tyres recently in Bahrain, but boss Paul Hembery had revealed that he had yet to get together to hear first-hand about Schumacher's gripe. Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said the Mercedes driver's meeting with Pirelli lasted half an hour. "I can imagine what was talked about," Timo Glock grinned. Hembery said: "Michael was with our technicians and Mercedes engineers, I do […]

An obvious tension was evident at Mugello when Pirelli's Paul Hembery was asked about Michael Schumacher. The seven time world champion had slammed F1's official supplier after Bahrain, arguing that the 2012 tyres degrade so quickly it makes driving a grand prix car as slow as a safety car. "We haven't spoken," Briton Hembery is quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. "I've just read something on the net about the tyres from his teammate Nico Rosberg which is very different." Asked if Schumacher's criticism […]

Pirelli went on the defensive on Sunday, following criticism in the wake of the Bahrain grand prix. British commentator Martin Brundle said the Italian marque's heavily-degrading 2012 product, so difficult to keep alive and in the narrow performance 'window', is overly dominating the season so far. Also critical after Bahrain, where tyre performance fell away rapidly in the desert heat, was Michael Schumacher, who told reporters he wanted to talk with Pirelli chiefs about how to improve the situation. Faced with that sort of criticism […]

The 2012 season has kicked off promisingly, with more overtaking moves recorded in the first two races than in the same exciting period last year. The finding is significant, given the highly lauded contribution early in 2011 made by the new passing aid 'DRS', and new official supplier Pirelli's heavily-degrading tyres. Finland's Turun Sanomat newspaper said 2012 has so far broken even the all-time records of early last season, when there were 63 overtaking moves - excluding the first laps - in Australia and Malaysia […]

Pirelli has revealed the tyre nominations for rounds four to six of this year’s FIA Formula One World Championship in Bahrain, Spain and Monaco. In Bahrain, the P Zero White medium tyre and P Zero Yellow soft tyre will be raced (the same nomination as Australia and China so far this year). In Spain, the P Zero Silver hard and P Zero Yellow soft will be used: the first time that this combination makes an appearance this year. Finally, the P Zero Yellow soft and […]

F1 team bosses turned out in force as officials insisted next month's Bahrain grand prix is definitely on. The sport's chief executive Bernie Ecclestone joined Sir Frank Williams, Martin Whitmarsh, Christian Horner, Mercedes' Nick Fry and Pirelli's Paul Hembery at a media lunch in London. "Talk about heavy support," wrote Reuters correspondent Alan Baldwin on Twitter. The self-described 'PR offensive' to promote the forthcoming Bahrain grand prix followed reports earlier this week that said the FIA had decided to cancel the race due to ongoing […]

Pirelli would have preferred to test with a 2011-specification car this year, Paul Hembery has admitted. After writing off the 2009 Toyota as too outdated, F1's tyre supplier struggled to find a solution with the teams as it pushed for a newer car for private tyre testing. Ultimately, Pirelli acquired a 2010 Renault. "We would have liked to have had a 2011 car," Pirelli motor sport director Hembery told Auto Motor und Sport. "So we are one step away from being happy." He said it […]