Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto says he feels “really ashamed” that Formula 1 teams did not vote in favour of reverting to Pirelli’s 2018-specification tyres for the rest of the 2019 season.
Mercedes won the opening eight races of 2019, prompting suggestions from rival teams that the championship should switch to last year’s Pirelli rubber, in a bid to enhance the racing.
Pirelli’s 2019 rubber features a thinner gauge tread than last year’s specification, while work was also undertaken for this season on reducing blistering and overheating.
A meeting was held prior to practice at the Austrian Grand Prix but the vote did not receive the required backing, meaning the proposal was rejected.
Ferrari was one of five teams in favour of the change and Binotto was saddened by the outcome.
“I think we missed a great opportunity on the tyres decision,” he said.
“I think the entire F1 [paddock]… we should have done something. I think sometimes we are discussing and not acting.
“I still feel really ashamed we didn’t change the specification of the tyres for the rest of the season as that would have been a great opportunity to close somehow the field.”
Mercedes’ dominant streak came to an end in Austria as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc during a pulsating finish to the race.
But with Mercedes’ lack of pace largely attributed to cooling issues it is expected that the team will return to its previous form in Britain.
“I think there are still issues, what we have is something quite unique to Austria,” said Red Bull boss Christian Horner.
“You have to look at a span of races. There was a vote on that and it’s clear where we are at.”
