Mercedes welcomes Pirelli's greater clarity over F1 tyre set-up
Mercedes motorsport chief Toto Wolff says the British Grand Prix tyre drama fall-out shows that Pirelli needs to be more specific in its stipulations to Formula 1 teams
While announcing the tyre changes it would make over the coming races in response to the multiple failures at Silverstone, Pirelli argued that the issue could have been avoided if the tyres were used "in the correct way".
It stated that teams' camber and pressure choices plus practice of swapping rear tyres were factors in the Silverstone blow-outs.
Pirelli motorsport chief Paul Hembery subsequently issued a further statement denying that the firm was in conflict with F1 teams over where blame lay for the Silverstone problems.
Wolff said he was satisfied that Pirelli had clarified that teams had done nothing wrong.
"Pirelli apologised and made a clear statement that it wasn't about complaining or saying that somebody else was to be blamed," he said.
"Lots of teams swap the tyres and obviously there's quite a bandwidth of tyre pressures that you are entitled to use.
"So I guess Pirelli are going to be more clear in advising the teams in terms of camber, which was a problem with one of our competitors a year or two ago [for Red Bull at Spa in 2011], on tyre pressures and on swapping the rear tyres. Most of the teams swap tyres and have been doing it for many races."
Asked for his feelings on Pirelli insisting its tyres were fundamentally safe, Wolff replied: "As a tyre supplier, not being safe is something you should never be associated with.
"I don't think you could expect any tyre supplier in the world to come out and say their tyres are not safe."
Wolff said this was a not a time for tension between any of the parties involved.
"Safety is a priority and it's a moment where Formula 1 must show unity and concentrate on solving the issues," he said.
"Whatever Pirelli is doing, we at Mercedes will go ahead and support them to the maximum."
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton was leading in Britain when he suffered the first of the day's tyre blow-outs. He said he would reserve judgement on Pirelli's actions for now.
"I think it's still a concern and something where we need to see how it goes," said Hamilton.
"I'm sure that they'll take the right steps to make it safe."
Does F1's cloud have a silver (Arrows) lining?
Di Resta focused on his own reputation in bid for top 2014 F1 seat
Diriyah E-Prix: Ticktum tops Friday practice from Buemi
Dan Ticktum topped the second Diriyah E-Prix free practice session with a 1m10.099s, seeing off a late challenge from 2015-16 Formula E champion Sebastien Buemi.
Toyota WRC boss Latvala plotting rally return
Toyota World Rally Championship boss Jari-Matti Latvala is plotting a competitive rally return with an outing behind the wheel of Toyota’s new Rally2 GR Yaris.
No Ferrari number one driver, but Vasseur won't hesitate to "take action"
New Ferrari Formula 1 boss Fred Vasseur says there will be no number one driver at the team this season, but he won't hesitate to "take action" if needed.
Aitken ends Williams F1 role to focus on sportscars
Jack Aitken has announced he and the Williams Formula 1 team have parted ways ahead of the 2023 season as he pursues a career in sportscar racing.
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
When F1 ‘holiday’ races kept drivers busy through the winter
Modern Formula 1 fans have grown accustomed to a lull in racing during winter in the northern hemisphere. But, as MAURICE HAMILTON explains, there was a time when teams headed south of the equator rather than bunkering down in the factory. And why not? There was fun to be had, money to be made and reputations to forge…
What Porsche social media frenzy says about F1’s manufacturer allure
Porsche whipped up a frenzy thanks to a cryptic social media post last week and, although it turned out to be a false alarm, it also highlighted why manufacturers remain such an important element in terms of the attraction that they bring to F1. It is little wonder that several other manufacturers are bidding for a slice of the action
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.