Pirelli backs top F1 teams to stake their claim in the championship from now on

Pirelli expects Formula 1's leading teams to now stamp their authority on the remainder of the season - with only limited chances now of a repeat of shock results like Pastor Maldonado's Spanish GP success

Although F1 has produced seven different winners from the first seven races, Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery believes the main title contenders have made big strides in understanding tyres - which will help them consistently battle it out at the front from now on.

"I think we're going to see that for the rest of the season," Hembery told AUTOSPORT.

"We might get one or two odd results simply by virtue of how close the cars are this year, and somebody might get something like Maldonado in Spain where they get a certain circuit spot on, but overall we will now see the top teams go forward and stake their claim on the championship."

Hembery does not buy into any arguments that this season's racing has been a lottery - and believes there are straightforward engineering explanations for all that has happened this year.

"There are very good engineering reasons; it's down to facts and figures and making your calls based on the figures you've got in front of you," he said.

"It's easy for us to sit there and look at the numbers and say, well why didn't you do that? When you're out there and you've got seconds to do it, then it's not so easy. I'm glad I'm watching it as a fan rather than having to make those calls.

"It's always been like that. F1 has always had an element of what the pit wall calls and decides; that's always been a part of the strategy of the sport.

"When there were fuel stops, of course it was more important then, but it's an element that the teams are used to having, and will probably have for a long time yet."

For a full analysis on why the 2012 season is not a lottery, see this week's AUTOSPORT.