F1 Madness

Tag: christian horner

  • Formula One teams demand urgent action over Pirelli tyre failures

    Formula One teams demand urgent action over Pirelli tyre failures

    Formula One team bosses are demanding urgent action over the Pirelli tyre failures suffered during today’s F1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

    According to McLaren team principal, Martin Whitmarsh, Formula One is in a “serious situation” as work needs to be done to come up with an urgent solution to the Pirelli tyre crisis witnessed at today’s race.

    Meetings are scheduled for the upcoming week, including a Sporting Working Committee meeting on Wednesday but Whitmarsh has added to the sentiments of Charlie Whiting, saying that urgent action is required even before that.

    “We clearly have a serious situation where we have to act responsibly, and respect Pirelli,” said Whitmarsh. “They have to do the best they can. We have to make a decision urgently, as it gives you a much better chance than talking about it on Wednesday when you want to drive out of the garage Friday.”

    Whitmarsh said that the only way to avoid a repeat of the drama at the German Grand Prix next weekend, would be to revert to last year’s tyres.

    Pirelli_Formula-1_2013_4“In 2012 we were not having this problem,” he said. “Therefore, if that is a known, established, durable specification, you would have thought  that is the easiest thing to do.”

    Red Bull boss, Christian Horner has backed Whitmarsh’s view saying, “The most logical thing would be to go back to the tyres that worked well for them previously. The tyres they had last year did not have these failures. They need to find a solution, and they need to address it. Whether they go back to last year’s car or a different tyre they need a solution.”

    Lotus team principal Eric Boullier also seems to think reverting to the 2012 rubber is a possible solution saying, “Going back to the Kevlar belt from last year would be one solution. I don’t know what they have in stock and how quick they can produce tyres. That is a question for Pirelli. It is a different track lay-out next weekend and first we need to find out what is causing these failures. But it is a concern.”

     

     

  • Christian Horner says Red Bull said no to Pirelli F1 tyre tests for fear of breaking rules

    Christian Horner says Red Bull said no to Pirelli F1 tyre tests for fear of breaking rules

    Christian Horner revealed during a Team Principals press conference that Red Bull were approached to take part in the Pirelli tyre tests in Barcelona but the team refused, fearing that it would breach Formula One FIA regulations.

    This will a key aspect when the Pirelli testgate saga goes to the FIA International Tribunal as the FIA has already said that Pirelli should have invited all other teams to carry out tyre test with Pirelli.

    Lotus and Force India both confirmed that they had not been approached by Pirelli, but Horner’s revelation adds new perspective to the ong-going saga.

    “We believe it is the responsibility of the entrant to comply with the regulations, so when it came to light that a test with the current car had taken place, our interpretation of the rules was that that was in clear breach of them. Therefore we raised a protest prior to the race for it to be dealt with by the FIA,” said Horner during a very tense press conference of the Team Principals following Friday’s second practice session in Canada.

    “It is really an issue between the team and the FIA and obviously Pirelli have asked several teams to test – ourselves included – but we have declined to do so as we felt it wasn’t in line with the regulations, certainly with the current car. So that is the situation, it has gone to the tribunal and we trust the FIA to make the appropriate decision regarding it.”

    “The important thing is that there needs to be absolute clarity in what you can do and what you can’t do, what I testing and what isn’t testing and I think that that is more crucial than anything to be fully resolved.”

    Pirelli f1 tyre testingMercedes continue to insist that they did not learn anything from the test and merely assisted Pirelli. Horner however, is steadfast in his few that the extra mileage the Mercedes F1 team got out of the testing will have been of great benefit to the team.

    “I think that whenever you have limited testing with the rules written as they are, then when you run a current car with the amount of technology and the amount of data analysis there is then you are always learning – whether it is reliability, whether it be endurance, whether it be performance,” he said.

    “So of course even if you are testing a component for another supplier you are learning. Formula 1 has moved an awfully long way over the last few years to ensure fairness and equality to all of the entrants and I think if a team does carry out an extra 1000km with a current car then you are going to learn something.”

    Horner was also unimpressed with the fact that the F1 tyre test was carried out in secret saying, “I think the lack of transparency has been disappointing. If a supplier has issues then they obviously have to deal with them, but if all entrants are supposedly equal, I think it is important that that information is made perfectly clear.”

    Mercedes will face the FIA International Tribunal later this month with Ross Brawn seeming very confident and sure that the team are in the clear.

     

  • F1 Video: FIA Team Principals Press Conference after FP2 Canada

    F1 Video: FIA Team Principals Press Conference after FP2 Canada

    Comments from Ross Brawn and Christian Horner regarding the “secret” Pirelli tyre testing at the Team Principals Press Conference after Free Practice to in Canada. Brawn refused to go into any detail but seemed very confident that once all the facts are revealed at the Tribunal, Mercedes would be cleared of any wrong doing.