Mario Isola pleased with Pirelli tyre performance in Japan

Pirelli's motorsport boss Mario Isola confirms he is happy with how the tyres performed under tricky conditions in Japan last weekend. The rain over the early part of the week washed away any on-track rubber while hotter conditions on Sunday caused concern.

Reports of heavy blistering on Friday when using the supersoft tyre created a big concern about race day. Already this season on hotter days the tyres have blistered more than they should have. In Austria, some drivers said their cars were undriveable.

“With temperatures being so much warmer than they had been, we knew that there would be some additional challenges at this very demanding track,” Isola explained after the race.

“This was indeed the case, especially in the closing stages of the race. But it did not compromise the action at all, as the many impressive fightbacks showed,"

Following the conclusion of the Grand Prix, Renault helped Pirelli carry out some tyre testing in preparation for the 2019 season. They're currently in a bidding process with Hankook to be the sole supplier beyond next season.