Back to tyres...

  • Please bear with us on the new site integration and fixing any known bugs over the coming days. If you can not log in please try resetting your password and check your spam box. If you have tried these steps and are still struggling email [email protected] with your username/registered email address
  • Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!
Starting to pop up on twitter that RBR have launched a official protest to the stewards.

I think they'll do nothing and it'll come down to a court-FIA kind of thing.
 
FWIW, rumour is that the other team to test were Ferrari, after Bahrain.
 
Tobias Grüner F1 ‏@tgruener
#F1 Ferrari joined Red Bulls protest bid against Mercedes.

Craig Scarborough ‏@ScarbsF1 2m
The Merc Pirelli test was FIA sanctioned, within the rules and with 2014 tyres. So all legal, but the PR has been handled very badly
 
I think Scarbs has hit the nail on the head, from everything that's been said, Red Bull appear to be complaining for the sake of it, there's really nothing in it.
 
Jon Noble ‏@NobleF1
Important to state that the protest does not relate to the Monaco Grand Prix result. It is a completely separate rules breach allegation
 
nothing in it? one team has been given a free test with the tyres which are causing everyone a problem, that's such a blatant advantage it's a joke, if Mercedes win today then all the teams who didn't have a very valid complaint.

Jean Todt doing a favour for his good buddy Brawn?
 
BrightLampShade said:
Tobias Grüner F1 ‏@tgruener
#F1 Ferrari joined Red Bulls protest bid against Mercedes.

Craig Scarborough ‏@ScarbsF1 2m
The Merc Pirelli test was FIA sanctioned, within the rules and with 2014 tyres. So all legal, but the PR has been handled very badly
Click to expand...

It's stupid though, surely it would be considered favouritism towards Mercedes?
 
Miggins said:
nothing in it? one team has been given a free test with the tyres which are causing everyone a problem, that's such a blatant advantage it's a joke, if Mercedes win today then all the teams who didn't have a very valid complaint.

Jean Todt doing a favour for his good buddy Brawn?
Click to expand...
The test was done with the 2014 tyres, but don't let the facts get in the way of your argument...
 
TomTom94 v2.4 (beta) said:
If Pirelli had just announced this publicly there would have been no backlash. Way to go Pirelli.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's a PR disaster, but equally, why did we never hear about Ferrari testing post-Bahrain, again presumably with 2014-spec tyres? It doesn't make sense for Red Bull to be protesting against Mercedes and not Ferrari too, and equally it seems very odd for Ferrari to then join the protests, when they'd had the same 'advantage' themselves.

The tyres tested were 2014 spec, and both Mercedes and Pirelli have said they were coded so Mercedes had little idea what they were testing. I suspect Pirelli ran an almost identical set of tyres to the Ferrari test, and will be able to compare data about the cars used too to hopefully reduce the car factor in their conclusions. Mercedes couldn't run any new parts, and Pirelli needed a stable base to little set-up work could have been done, not that it'd be much use after a GP anyway.
 
The interesting point is the "2014" tyres thing, because crybaby Horner is whinging that they were using tyres used at this Grand prix, or due to be used in a future one this season... So is Horner just milking it like a stricken footballer, or is this a genuine gripe?
 
Ah, interesting development. Ferrari used a 2010 car for their test post-Bahrain, so presumably they're complaining because Mercedes used their 2013 car. Fair enough.
 
DHCanary said:
Ah, interesting development. Ferrari used a 2010 car for their test post-Bahrain, so presumably they're complaining because Mercedes used their 2013 car. Fair enough.
Click to expand...

There was a secret test at Barcelona before the Spanish GP where Ferrari were using the F150. Someone got it on video and Pius Gasso took pictures.


EDIT: Here it is. This was taken on April 23rd:

You must log in or register to see images


Video: http://www.mobypicture.com/user/piusgasso3/view/15170420
 
so the team with terrible tyre wear and generally go backwards have a secretive test and suddenly are the class of the field. If this had been a red bull test people here would be spitting feathers.
 
So I guess the next question is who's supplying F1 tyres next year now? Pirelli are looking like they are on their way out and the way this seasons happening I don't think many tyre companies will be that keen to jump in their place and then take all that stick for doing what they were asked to do.

Could we go back into a tyre war? 2014 is looking more and more uncertain and no racing will happen if a tyre supplier can't be found. Michelin and Cooper Avon bid again Pirelli originally, will they still be interested after all the fuss?
 
Interesting! So either Pirelli have to offer every other team an equivalent test, or Mercedes presumably face sanctions?

On the topic of a tyre supplier, I still think Pirelli will do at least one more year, as nobody else could step in at this point. They're clearly working on 2014 tyres at least.
 
I think Pirelli are quite progressed with regard to 2014 but going off the chatter from the big F1 journalists Pirelli are looking likely to pack it in at the end of the season.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back