F1 News

FIA’s 2020 tyre selection process not “all perfect”

FIA’s 2020 tyre selection process not “all perfect”

22-11-2019 16:14
1

Bevan Youl

Nikolas Tombazis, FIA’s single-seater technical boss, has admitted that the process for finalising the choice of Pirelli tyres for 2020 isn’t “all perfect” due to not wanting a repeat of complaints this year.

The original date for the official choice of 2020 tyre was to be communicated to teams by September 1st to allow time for adjustments but it was pushed back until October.
 
But testing from teams after Austin using the supposed definite 2020 tyre resulted in a lot of negative feedback and some teams calling for the 2019 tyres to be used again, prompting another test of them after Abu Dhabi.
 
"As explained to the team principals [in Brazil], I'm not suggesting that how it's been done is the best way and that it's all perfect," Tombazis told Motorsport.com.

"But last year we were faced in June or July with a big brouhaha about the tyres and people wanting to change them in the middle of the year, on the basis of a vote. The alternative was to just keep the current tyres and do nothing.

"And to avoid similar whinging next year, and cries for different constructions or whatever, then I felt at least to get it right in December or late November was better than discussing it in May or June during a championship.”

Should there still be negative feedback from teams after the Abu Dhabi test for the 2020 tyres then the FIA will call for a vote, of which if seven of the teams vote against then they will return to the 2019 tyres.

"If the outcome of that is that teams say, 'Oh, no, really, you know, we don't see any benefits,' and so on, then they have the right to vote them out with seven out of 10,” he added.

“If on the other hand hopefully the tyres do prove to be beneficial, we're left with an advantage for the sport.

"The change of tyres has to be instigated by the FIA. So, if we see that there's massive whinging about the tyres, then we will ask there to be a vote.”