The outcome of Formula 1’s Strategy Group meeting has been met with a mixed reaction from the sport’s official tyre supplier, Pirelli.
Two key factors relating to tyres came out of the lengthy discussion; allowing each team to nominate its own compounds for each race weekend and the move to wider rear-tyres.
The former is aimed at opening up numerous different strategic possibilities by giving the teams another variable to play with. They will elect which two tyres they wish to use at each race out of a possible four.
The proposal was branded “reckless” and “impossible” by Pirelli’s Paul Hembery when it was floated in April by Force India, but the Strategy Group chose to ignore Pirelli’s concerns and push ahead with it anyway.
Hembery says they have no choice but to work with the sport on finding a safe solution now that it’s been agreed upon.
“We would like to look in to what the problem is that’s got to be solved, but as ever Pirelli will work with all the teams to find a satisfactory and safe solution,” he told F1i.
A new rule which Pirelli are completely behind – and one they have suggested be implemented previously – is the move to wider tyres in 2017.
Whilst the Italian supplier doesn’t have a contract after next season, it’s a move they would happily embrace if they’re successful when the FIA releases its tyre tender later this year.
“We’re very happy with that, we suggested we should go back to the wider tyres, they look more aggressive and more dramatic,” he said.
“That’s something that we would be very willing to support, and that was discussed with us.”
