Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are unimpressed with Formula 1’s new tyre rule, saying fans saw less track action on Friday because of it.
F1 is trialling its Alternative Tyre Allocation format this weekend. Under the rules drivers receive 11 sets of slick tyres for the three days instead of 13 and have tighter restrictions on when they may use the tyres.
After first practice was affected by rain, most drivers used two sets of tyres in the dry second session. However Verstappen and the two Mercedes drivers decided to maximise the number of fresh tyre sets they have for the rest of the weekend and only used a single set each.
Verstappen, who did 18 laps in the second practice session, said the new format created a poor spectacle for fans.
“We haven’t actually used a lot of tyre sets today,” said the Red Bull driver. “With this new format, you’re just super-limited with the tyres that you can use.
“I didn’t want to use them today to at least have a bit more of a better preparation tomorrow. But it’s a bit of a shame, there’s so many people around and you basically don’t really run a lot.
“So we’ll have to see what we can do to improve that because really you’re just saving times which I think is not the correct thing.”
The ATA was introduced in order to reduce the number of tyres F1 takes to races and therefore cut waste, freight and emissions. However Hamilton believes this could be done more effectively by reducing the number of wet weather tyres taken to each race.
“We only had one tyre that we were going to use this session so it’s not really a great format this change they made for this weekend,” he said. “It just means we get less running, so not ideal.
“There’s a lot of wet tyres that I think they throw away after every weekend, like, a lot and maybe they should look at something like that rather than taking time on track away from the fans.”
Bringing the F1 news from the source
RaceFans strives to bring its readers news directly from the key players in Formula 1. We are able to do this thanks in part to the generous backing of our RaceFans Supporters.
By contributing £1 per month or £12 per year (or the equivalent in other currencies) you can help cover the costs involved in producing original journalism: Travelling, writing, creating, hosting, contacting and developing.
We have been proudly supported by our readers for over 10 years. If you enjoy our independent coverage, please consider becoming a RaceFans Supporter today. As a bonus, all our Supporters can also browse the site ad-free. Sign up or find out more via the links below:
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
