F1 News
Pirelli happy with delivered rubber: 'The tyres create those opportunities'
- GPblog.com
In Canada, Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz raced hard in the closing stages of the race. A fight that probably would not have been possible with the previous generation of cars. Mario Isola of Pirelli is happy because his tyres contribute to the better 'raceability' this season.
Verstappen held his Red Bull Racing RB18 for no less than 16 laps in front of an attacking Sainz, who was able to keep his Ferrari F1-75 within a second at the crucial moments for almost all of those laps. Pirelli chief Isola believes the battle between the Dutchman and Spaniard in Canada would have been impossible with the old generation of F1 cars. The Italian is therefore pleased to see that there is racing this season.
Pirelli achieves first target
In conversation with Autosport.com Isola says that the aim of this year was to make the drivers race harder. By this he does not necessarily mean overtaking with DRS, but only that there is good tracking and a real fight on track. Isola: "That's exactly what happened with Max and Carlos, but also at the back between Alpine and Charles Leclerc. It means that the tyres offer these opportunities along with the new packages of the cars."
The Italian tyre manufacturer is continuing to make improvements and is already working on the new tyre for 2023. Pirelli has a good starting point now that the first target has been achieved. However, the boss thinks that there is still room for improvement in the mutual balance between the different compounds. The compounds are still too far apart in terms of lifespan and speed. The ratios are also different and unpredictable every race.