Hamilton is already putting Pirelli under pressure: “The tires are much too inflated”

The tires in F1, we talk about it very often. Rarely to get excited about but, after all, Pirelli, which has supplied the grid exclusively since 2011, is only following the recommendations of the mission letter entrusted to it. The Italian brand suffered a snub at the end of last year when its 2020 products were unanimously rejected to store gums 2019...that not many people liked 12 months earlier.

Next year, tires will be one of the key elements of the regulatory upheaval, with the introduction of 18-inch casings. Aware of the stakes and the opportunities that the advancing revolution can open up, the 10 teams have already agreed to provide Pirelli with a hybrid mule as part of their annual testing program which extends over 25 days. Lewis Hamilton took advantage of the Barcelona tests to issue a first warning against the Milanese manufacturer. “They brought the 2020 tires and their behavior was worse than that of previous erasers, commented the pilot Mercedes.

It was easier to keep the envelopes the same, even if the increased pressure is not ideal. The tires are way too inflated. F1 must ensure it uses the best technology and the most competent partners possible. We've been talking about things like thermal degradation for years, and when we spoke with Pirelli in Brazil, they told us: "This is the first time we're talking about this aspect, we've never had it before." heard ". This means that it is necessary to improve our communication with them.”

Hamilton came close to suggesting a change of supplier if the 2021 tires did not meet expectations, even though Pirelli's contract with F1 runs until 2023. “I don’t know who set the 2020 goals, but the end result was not satisfactory, scolded the six-time world champion.

I hope that the 2021 roadmap will be of better quality and that the targets will be achieved, or that a manufacturer will be able to achieve them.” Asked about Hamilton's comments, Mario Isola, as usual, played the firefighter on duty.

“First of all, I would like to point out that we are in the process of finalizing this famous road map,” he replied calmly. Last year, we exchanged a lot but did not manage to finalize the future directives. At some point we have to say, 'Okay, let's focus on 2021'". The Italian manager, however, clarified that the broad outlines of the future tires are already known. “The priority is reduction of overheating, added Isola.

The second objective is to provide a wider window of use, another point that we find in the feedback from the pilots. And these two elements are linked ". Pirelli launched its 2021 testing program at Jerez with Charles Leclerc et Ferrari at the beginning of February. Isola assured that the Monegasque had already felt an improvement with a less pronounced overheating phenomenon on the 18-inch tires.