One tyre supplier?! How about two or more?

[wedge]

They have bucked the worldwide trend of choosing a single tyre supplier, instead Pirelli and Michelin can both compete, but they must supply a single specification of tyre to any competitor who wants one, at a fixed price.

That sounds interesting. How does it work exactly? Can drivers change brands at pit stops? Does a driver/team nominate a brand at qualy/before the race?

[V12]

That sounds interesting. How does it work exactly? Can drivers change brands at pit stops? Does a driver/team nominate a brand at qualy/before the race?

Found no more info beyond the Autosport article, I guess theoretically a driver/team could swap about, but given that cars have to be optimised or at least dialled-in setup wise to a particular tyre's characteristics, this may be counter productive. I'll be keeping an eye on it though.

[f1kid1987]

If we scrap the single tyre regulation, I'd like more controls in place for ensuring all teams, top and bottom are giving equal treatment.

I totally agree with poleposition_1. The tyre wars were good but BS blently put the efforts with ferrari but the other bs user were the lower rank teams on the grid, and michlien had the mid teams. and i agree if we scrap it we have to have tighter controls casue yet again bs will be ferrai playmate agian lol

but could you see michlien and goodyear coming back to F1???

[leopard]

Bring back the tyre wars!

I personally prefer more tyres, two or three tyres seem to be the ideal number. It will give more colors into the championship, black, brown, etc. Isn't it always good to have more preference?

[jens]

The tyre war period was definetely interesting for me. Surely some teams were handicapped, but the form of different teams fluctuated from race-to-race more than it does now due to different tyre performances. For example in Hungary 2003 Ferrari managed to finish just 8th only to win the next race at Monza (surely two very different circuits too, but nowadays you wouldn't see such an enormous jump anyhow!). Such inconsistent form created an intense title fight. And of course the 1997 season was exciting, when Arrows, Stewart and Prost were at times mixing it with the big boys with the help of superior tyres - surely it was an enjoyable sight?! Also worth to mention the period, when Pirelli was competing and some underdog teams could really shine in qualifying with great one-lap spec tyres.

Anyway, I think in current economic climate a tyre war can't quite be afforded...

[V12]

I remember when the single tyre was first being mooted (after Indy 2005 I think), an Autosport correspondent, can't remember who exactly, said

"Tyre wars have saved more seasons than they have ruined."

I think that sums it up in a nutshell.

Agree that with the whole costs thing etc. it's even less feasible than before, but it wasn't an issue when the rule was announced back in 2006.

The cynic in me still thinks it was a political decision in order to publicly hang Michelin out to dry in the wake of Indy (let's face it, with their sporting culture they were never going to bid, and in any case they were never going to win it). There was no sporting (obviously), or commercial (at the time) sense behind the decision.

[wedge]

The tyre war period was definetely interesting for me. Surely some teams were handicapped, but the form of different teams fluctuated from race-to-race more than it does now due to different tyre performances. For example in Hungary 2003 Ferrari managed to finish just 8th only to win the next race at Monza (surely two very different circuits too, but nowadays you wouldn't see such an enormous jump anyhow!). Such inconsistent form created an intense title fight. And of course the 1997 season was exciting, when Arrows, Stewart and Prost were at times mixing it with the big boys with the help of superior tyres - surely it was an enjoyable sight?! Also worth to mention the period, when Pirelli was competing and some underdog teams could really shine in qualifying with great one-lap spec tyres.

Anyway, I think in current economic climate a tyre war can't quite be afforded...

Single tyres have and quite possibly improved the show. Magny Cours - traditionally a borefest, but wait we now see overtaking there!

It's because we have an element of parity and none of this race within a race business where a tyre manufacturer dominated certain weekends.

[markabilly]

i would say right now, be glad you have one rather than none......