“The safety is the biggest issue,” Hamilton said. “It’s just unacceptable. We
had that tyre test to develop and improve the tyres to stop that from
happening and after that tyre test they didn’t do anything.
“Someone could’ve crashed. I was thinking behind the safety car that it’s only
when someone gets hurt that something will be done about it.”
McLaren’s
Sergio Perez echoed Hamilton’s words, saying it was extremely fortunate that
no one had been hurt. “It was not dangerous this time because it happened on
the straight but it could have been really serious,” he said. “We are
risking our lives and if something like this happens again, we don’t want
one of us to be killed.”
There have now been 20 tyre failures this season alone, with the Grand Prix
Drivers Association writing to FIA president Jean Todt last month to demand
action. McLaren’s Jenson
Button, Red Bull’s Sebastian
Vettel and Ferrari test driver Pedro de la Rosa then went to see
Todt in person at Silverstone over the weekend to impress upon him the
urgency of the issue. The FIA released a statement last night saying that
Todt had “demanded that Pirelli participate in the Sporting Working Group
meeting on Wednesday to take the necessary measures to deal with this issue
that poses a safety problem”.
It added: “Our priority is the safety of the drivers. This is why we have
asked for an immediate proposal after the analysis.”
Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery said it was too early to draw any
conclusions, with Silverstone’s kerbs also being mooted as a possible cause
for the failures, but he did exclude a new bonding process on the tyres
introduced at Silverstone.
Pirelli’s tyres have dominated the news agenda all season, with complaints not
only about safety but about the style of racing caused by their
fast-degrading rubber.
As far as the racing is concerned, Pirelli can justifiably claim that they are
only producing what they have been asked for. As for the issue of safety,
they say their hands are tied by the ban on in-season testing and the
paranoia which means teams will not give them current cars with which to
test. It was this situation that led to Pirelli’s controversial test with
Mercedes.
To further muddy the waters, Pirelli have not yet been offered a contract for
2014, with the FIA reportedly keen to bring in Michelin. The Italian company
is believed to be considering legal action if a tender to supply tyres next
year is put out.
In the meantime the issue of tyre safety will occupy everyone’s minds. A
proposal to return to last year’s tyres, which were kevlar, rather than
steel-bound, has been mooted but it is thought that three teams – Lotus,
Ferrari and Force
India – object on the grounds that the current tyres broadly benefit
them.
Red
Bull team principal Christian Horner said it was time to put
performance differences aside for the sake of the common good.
“I don’t think they should cancel Germany,” he said. “The most logical thing
would be to go back to the tyres they have had previously which did not have
these failures. The problem with that is that teams are seen to be chasing a
competitive advantage but we were leading the race on these tyres today and
we have won races on these tyres.
“I would urge the change purely on the grounds of safety. Driver safety comes
above any performance criteria. Whether they go back to last year’s tyre or
a different one, they need to find a solution.”