F1’s official tyre supplier for 2011 says it needs support from teams if it is to supply more aggressive tyres to produce better racing.
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Pirelli urges support for aggressive tyres (Autosport)
“If you have two tyre choices and they are quite aggressive, then teams and drivers have to start thinking about when to use them and how to use them. That is obviously what happened in Canada. But the drivers and some of the team members would have to buy into that, because there is no point in doing it if the driver just comes out and says the tyres are rubbish – because then we will just go back and give them a tyre that is the same for 50 laps, which we can do.”
The Williams-HRT alliance develops (Joe Saward)
“Maldonado will not be restricted to just one day of testing as a deal has been struck to have the Venezuelan testing with HRT on the other three days of running, helping Grove to give Maldonado mileage on Pirelli rubber as well as in the Williams. If this is confirmed it is fairly clear that the intention is for Williams to have him in the team next year.”
Rubens Barrichello backs Williams team-mate Hulkenberg (BBC)
“I tell you it is unbelievable how things are. All I can say is that I hope Nico stays. I believe I have one of the strongest team-mates, especially because of his youth. He’s truly good. I like his attitude. He does not have a lot of experience but the way he translates comments are in the right direction. It shows he has been a champion before.”
Will new FIA disciplinary system guarantee fairer trials? (Adam Cooper)
“The FIA General Assembly has approved a major change to the disciplinary process that will take F1 controversies out of the hands of the World Motor Sport Council. Cases will now be heard by a newly created International Tribunal, which will feature judges chosen by another new body called the Judicial Appointment Committee.”
Comment of the day
Surely everyone loved seeing Nico Hulkenberg taking pole position yesterday? Well maybe not one person, as Jonathan Wallcroft points out:
Pastor Maldonado watching that from Caracas is saying "Damn there goes my chances for next year".
Jonathan Wallcroft
From the forum
Red Andy raises the rumours over Sebastien Buemi and asks is history repeating itself at Toro Rosso?
Happy birthday!
Interestingly it’s Paul and AlonsoWDC’s birthdays today. I wonder if that last one will prove prophetic for today’s race?
On this day in F1
Three years ago today Williams announced that Kazuki Nakajima, who had made one start for them in the Brazilian Grand Prix, would race for them full-time in 2008.
He stayed with them for two seasons before disappearing, along with their Toyota engines.
What’s he doing now? I wish I could tell you. He was touted as a Stefan GP driver but that’s it. From a glance at his official website, it doesn’t look like he’s been doing much racing.
He has posted on his official blog occasionally, in Japanese, from which it looks like he was in Korea for the F1 weekend.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
7th November 2010, 0:47
Wierd to see Nakahima isn’t racing. I thought he was racing in Japan, on those awesome Super GT cars or something.
wasiF1 (@wasif1)
7th November 2010, 2:56
Yeah there are so much racing other then F1 he should have tried some.
Scalextric
7th November 2010, 1:04
Pirelli: Tyres that don’t last 50+ laps make us talk more about tyres. Good and bad.
Spoiler alert: The article uses the phrase “impr@ve the sh@w”.
Jonsracing82
7th November 2010, 1:49
tyres that fal apart after 15-20 laps makes for great racing as we saw in Montreal. even Bahrain would be interesting with tyres like that :P
PJ
7th November 2010, 1:04
I’m liking Pirelli’s stance on the tyre plans, going for something that’s exciting rather than just showing off how long they can last.
BasCB
7th November 2010, 9:39
Exactly it shows they are thinking of what is needed for a good race, not just simple “if if lasts long it is good” thinking.
MAke the tyres fast, with 1-3 fast laps from them in qualifying depending on who mends his tyres best, then let them have a good grip offering over a second per lap for another 4-8 laps (make that 25-40 km, or up to 70 km without qualifying) and than quickly fade away to be slower than the hards. The hards should be slower but hold on for about 15-30 laps (or 85 – 170 km) before becoming a burden to mend.
This would enable drivers to try 1 stops on hards but be slower, or have softs and make 2 stops or even 3 stops.
Stretch (@stretch)
7th November 2010, 1:07
Hopefully Pirelli don’t supply tyres that last 50 laps, as I would like to see more pit stops next year from the front runners. They should have to pit for tyres twice in a race.
Prisoner Monkeys
7th November 2010, 2:16
I think what we really need is a set of soft tyres that will be good enough to dial out enough of a lead that you’ll be able to pit in relative safety if you’re daring with them (ie if you’re not Jenson Button), but not so much of lead that you’re guaranteed to be in front when you come back out fo the pit. The idea is that we need to promote alternating strategies: start on softs and build a lead then switch to hards, or endure the hards and have a flying finish on softs. It would remove some of the strategic focus on the pit stops, with one driver’s stop triggering everyone else’s.
VXR
7th November 2010, 12:07
I thought that it was Button that did the “daring” strategies!?
I’m sure that the likes of Button and Schumacher will be hoping for tyres that heat up quicker, but go off quicker if abused. Bring’em on!
Part of their problems have been with tyres that they can’t get heat into and therefore don’t grip, and wear out faster after sliding around on them too much.
In general the drivers haven’t really had to look after their tyres this season. It seems that you can go race distance on either compound without much drop off in performance. Hopefully Pirelli’s thoughts on this will be taken onboard.
ed24f1 (@ed24f1)
7th November 2010, 7:31
Maybe Maldonado could be given a seat at HRT?
BasCB
7th November 2010, 9:43
I thought along the same lines. Have him field the cash to pay for the williams rear end will secure him a drive in a car with some potential, Williams could even sign an option to have him in their team after Rubens calls it quits.
It would certainly make more sense than offering the Hulk the HRT seat and risk losing him (would Weber sign a mulit year contract with Williams on that basis?) and have Maldonado paying for Rubens salary of 5 million.
Sush Meerkat
7th November 2010, 8:22
Happy Birthday to Paul and the spookily named AlonsoWDC.
BasCB
7th November 2010, 9:44
Yea, happy birthday from me as well to the both of you.
Although i do certainly not hope we will see AlonsoWDC enjoying seeing Alonso WDC quite yet today.
AlonsoWDC
8th November 2010, 6:16
For what it’s worth, I was originally ‘Paul,’ but the site grew and grew and I decided to finally use the handle I use elsewhere – AlonsoWDC. If you plan to play GT5 (I have played the online demo for close to three years), that is my PSN ID.
I didn’t expect an AlonsoWDC today. Maybe a week after my birthday.
Cheers from Memphis,
-Paul.
Icthyes (@icthyes)
7th November 2010, 9:44
I disagree with Saward’s interpretation. Maldonado could just as well be going for HRT after Williams swung back into keeping Hulkenburg (most likely decided before the weekend but cemented firmly because of it) and they know Ruben’s worth if they are to improve. So with the new HRT deal they’re going to have their new test driver actually racing in case they need him in the future, something I wish a lot more teams would do.
Glad to hear Pirelli making these noises as the current tyre system is fundamentally flawed. Currently we have a tyre better for sprints and one better for endurance. The trouble with this is that putting on new tyres will always make you faster, so even if you start on the endurance set you’re not going to leapfrog the leaders. As soon as they come in, you might have track position but they’ll have the speed, so unless there are particular difficulties in getting the tyres up to speed (which we haven’t seen beyond one or two laps), the guy who’s pitted will start gaining on you and when you make your stop you’ll lose the place to him again. Extreme differences are good because it ensures people on sprint tyres will have to pit when they’re not far ahead enough to avoid traffic. That’s what Bridgestone planned in Hockenheim but failed. But it also means that anyone going for multiple stops will have a speed advantage over others big enough to prevent a repeat of what we saw in Melbourne because the endurance tyres would be so hard even at maximum they couldn’t give great grip and would take a few laps to heat up too, leading to even more interesting starts.
Of course they could just get rid of the gimmick restrictions and let drivers use whatever compound they want whenever in the race.
BasCB
7th November 2010, 9:50
Agree with you on that Maldonado/HRT and Williams. Although Saward often gets to rumours that are for real, this is only interpretation of those from him.
To me it would make better sense for Williams to agree
1. multiple year deal with the incredible Hulk (telling him to sing or lose the drive)
2. make a contract with Maldonado as reserve driver to Williams with an option on him joining after Rubens calls it quits, while at the same time
3. have Maldonado’s money pay for the deal for Williams to supply the HRT rear end (possibly directly to cement their ties), as this gives him a good chance of a halfway competative car to drive at HRT
4. get Rubens to agree to a bit of a pay cut with options for points or wins.
BasCB
7th November 2010, 9:56
I just read that piece about Barricello supporting the Hulk. In the same article Head also supports him, but the best sound bite of that article is
when asked about their drivers for next year.
I bet Parr will feel very jolly about that.
Skett
7th November 2010, 12:19
I suspect that was intended as a joke, partly because I don’t think they’ll have anything nasty to say (not to their current drivers anyway).
I think the whole Maldonado thing is just to scare their drivers a bit into taking a pay cut (in Ruben’s case) and a 5 year deal (in Hulk’s case)
BasCB
7th November 2010, 13:19
I also took it to be a joke
BasCB
7th November 2010, 10:06
I would really love it if you could find out more about how the new tribunal will work and possibly some ideas about what these participants in the 5 FIA championship (which means who, are they the teams, organisers, or drivers or all?) will be looking for in judges named etc. Keith. Not sure it that is not too much asked though.
If Todt gets this one right, he might be in for a very good approval rating in the future.
I like the way Adam Cooper highlighted this aspect of the desicion (JA mainly highlighted the potential to punish drivers for road offences).
Icthyes (@icthyes)
7th November 2010, 11:17
Oh wow, what a punishment…
DeadManWoking
7th November 2010, 12:41
Wow indeed. Major Inflation at the FIA. The cost of a Championship Point just went up from $14,286 to $50,000!
Red Andy (@red-andy)
7th November 2010, 11:31
Pirelli need to get onto the teams about supporting a bid to drop the ridiculous two-compound rule. Bring four compounds to each race and let the teams choose which ones they want to use.
Icthyes (@icthyes)
7th November 2010, 12:13
Hear, hear – then we’d see the true skill of the drivers. Button making super-softs last, Vettel and Hamilton getting the mediums to work, Massa blasting around on the softs, etc.
Skett
7th November 2010, 12:21
Not to mention removing the rule about drivers having to use both compounds! (Though admittedly I can’t imagine it would work with 4!)
DeadManWoking
7th November 2010, 12:51
Also remove the one abbout the Top 10 having to start on their Qualy tires.
4 different compounds and use whatever one you like whenever you like and pit as many times as you want or not at all.
I Like It! :D
colin grayson
7th November 2010, 14:18
no good getting on to the teams about the rules …the FIA make them , not FOCA !
and a brave move by pirelli , shows enormous confidence , bridgestone have done no favours to F1 with this years conservative strategies ; I wonder if it has been the same corporate control from japan then hindered honda and toyota that brought this about
Red Andy (@red-andy)
7th November 2010, 14:32
Actually the rules are set by the Formula One Commission and ratified by the World Motor Sport Council. Recently suggestions from the teams for rule changes tend to be rubber-stamped by both bodies, such as the testing ban. So the teams do have a way of getting things into the rulebook.
RobertG
7th November 2010, 14:26
My birthday too :)
BasCB
7th November 2010, 19:43
Congratulations!