"If it were up to us, we would make a tyre that would make drivers happy"

Pirelli has the thankless task of supplying the teams with the best possible rubber, but at the same time it has to ensure that races can be exciting. That is why Pirelli's tyres do not last as long and must therefore be spared.

To Auto Motor und Sport, Mario Isola, boss of Pirelli Motorsport, defends the choices they made. After several races this season there was criticism, especially from the drivers' camp, about the 'exaggerated' tyres they had to save during the race. According to Isola, however, this is part of their profession.

"It's a tremendously difficult task to find a healthy balance between a tyre that can attack and one that doesn't penalise drivers who are good at saving tyres. A good driver can do both".

FIA and FOM want an exciting show

Nevertheless, Isola understands the drivers' position and does not want to be held solely responsible for the current policy. "If it were up to us alone, we would certainly make a tyre that would make drivers happy. After all, they are the heroes of this show. But there are other interests at stake".

Pirelli has been asked by the FIA and FOM since 2011, when Pirelli took over the role of tyre supplier from Bridgestone, to make a tyre that wears out relatively quickly. The idea was then that more pit stops and a large time difference between different tyre compositions would lead to more exciting races with more overtaking.