World champion Sebastian Vettel and Former world champion Fernando Alonso have criticized the new Pirelli tyres set to be used when the Formula One season begins later this month with the Australian Grand Prix.
Sebastian Vettel
"The problem is the tyres wear down too fast"
"They are only good for 16 or 17 laps, then they start to break up and are ruined, then the driver doesn't have a chance. The feeling when driving is different and that is a pity for us."
Because Pirelli supplies tyres to all the teams, the problem is not easy to solve, says Vettel.
"For a team, it would not be a problem, but for the whole field it will take a while to get used to the tyres," he said.
"For now, it's too late. We will be racing again in just a few weeks."
Vettel estimates the new tyres could cost a driver up to ten seconds of extra time per lap during a race.
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso feels that the new Pirelli tyres may place the faster teams at a disadvantage in this year’s Formula One world championship.
The Italian company has complied with the FIA's brief to create a range of tyres which degrade far more rapidly than any in the past, in an effort to force cars to make more pit stops and thereby hopefully increase the spectacle of the sport.
In pre-season testing, some drivers found that the Pirelli tyres lost four seconds a lap over just ten laps.
Alonso thinks that the frequent stops for tyres will hurt the faster cars.
"From what we have seen so far, degradation is very significant, which means we will have races with lots of pit stops"
"I'm not keen on that because I think this increased uncertainty does not favour the strongest teams. It's as if in football, it was decided to have a penalty per team each half hour in which case Barcelona and Real Madrid would not be jumping for joy.”
"However, the situation is the same for everyone: it will be important to be fastest because I don't think we can make one stop less than our main rivals."
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