Move from some to revert to 2018's thicker-tread tyres fails to gain sufficient support in meeting at Red Bull Ring
Friday 28 June 2019 13:43, UK
Mercedes' rivals have failed in an attempt to return to 2018's tyres in a meeting at the Austrian GP.
Team bosses and some drivers met with F1 chiefs ahead of Practice One at the Red Bull Ring but a move by some to return to last year's compound designs, which featured thicker treads, did not receive sufficient support among all 10 teams.
"Relying on the teams to agree that was never going to happen," said Red Bull's Christian Horner to Sky Sports F1.
Mercedes, plus engine customers Racing Point and Williams, and McLaren and Renault were thought to be against a mid-season change.
The introduction of thinner tread tyres for this season came after Pirelli experienced problems with overheating on resurfaced tracks last year.
Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel were among the drivers in attendance at Friday's meeting and vote, with the sport's two leading drivers having expressed their views about the topic when quizzed on Thursday.
Asked if Ferrari, yet to beat Mercedes in 2019, would have fared better with last year's tyre designs, Vettel replied: "The answer is I don't know because we'd have to go back to give you that answer but, as it is now, it's fairly set in terms of order.
"Mercedes does a very good job and it's up to the others to try and catch up. But certainly it would be an element to try and mix things up.
"For ourselves we have struggled more on this year's tyres to get them to work and to get into the window for both qualy and race and there are a couple of other teams probably where drivers would agree.
"For us it's pretty clear but everybody has their own opinions."
Hamilton, meanwhile, suggested the mooted change would do nothing to improve the racing spectacle - and called on all teams to put individual interests aside for the good of the sport.
"I heard, for example, they're trying to bring back 2018 tyres which were worse than this year's tyres. Last year you had to manage the tyres to a temperature which means you have to do more lift and coasting, you have more blistering... it was a lot worse," added Hamilton.
"You couldn't do what I was able to do in Montreal, where I was able to push behind Seb for all those laps - you couldn't do that on last year's tyres, especially the thicker gauge tyres.
"There's an example again of different teams pushing for different things for their own personal goals rather than for the sport's. We need to find solutions that work for everyone if possible and not for individual gain. It's to make racing better."
Brundle on F1's tyre talk...
Sky F1's Martin Brundle believes the current narrative around the sport is too heavily focused on tyres, but said it was still up to teams to adapt to the situation and perform.
"Formula 1 is too tyre-dominated at the moment. It should be an incidental aspect," said Brundle.
"It is a fundamental part of motorsport in general, and Formula 1 in particular, but all we ever seem to talk about it is 'switching' tyres on.
"It's so hard to understand, it's so hard to explain to our friends at home, but it's still a cop out at the end of the day as some teams are switching the tyres on and others are not. So you've got to get it right."
The whole Austrian GP weekend is live only on Sky Sports F1. Sunday's race begins at 2.10pm with build-up from 12.30pm. Find out more about Formula 1 on Sky Sports
