F1 teams decide to keep 2019 tyres in 2020 season!
- Nicolás Quarles van Ufford
All 10 Formula 1 teams have agreed unanimously they want to keep the current tyres for the 2020 season, with the entire grid not impressed by the new rubber after testing in both Austin as well as Abu Dhabi.
The 2020 tyres were tested for the first time on Friday ahead of the United States Grand Prix but received a lot of negative feedback. This was despite Pirelli's claims of the new compound having less degradation and a bigger temperature window for optimal grip.
No difference in Abu Dhabi
After the criticism in Austin, Pirelli claimed the tricky conditions on the day at the Circuit of the Americas were the main reason for the criticism, as the tyres weren't performing optimally.
However, in post-season testing in Abu Dhabi, GPDA-director Romain Grojean revealed the new rubber still wasn't comfortable to drive. He then told Motorsport.com all teams agreed unanimously to reject the new tyres and keep the 2019 ones. Over 70% of teams have to agree for such a proposal to go through.
Despite the rejection, the FIA did release a statement to thank Pirelli for its effort and claimed they'll learn from this occasion.