Did Pirelli go too far?

[F1boat]

Who is this 'one particular driver' F1boat, Schuey?

With or without tires Michael will have difficulty to win a race. I speak about some fans of Lewis who are very vocal about their distaste for the tires in forums like P-F1 or Autosport Atlas. Which is bloody ridiculous because in Spain Lewis himself proved what can be done with the tires if you are careful.

[Malbec]

Dont forget that Maldonado qualified ahead of Alonso in Australia, and was racing him for position to the end of the race, so it's not too big a jump to see the same two cars competing for the win in Spain. Why should it be wrong for a Williams to be up front, but Alonso's win in Malaysia passes without comment in the same context?

The "big" teams don't have the exclusive right to be at the front all the time, and if the likes of Williams and Sauber get their package right on a given weekend then I don't see anything wrong in that.

Its not too big a jump to see a Williams and a Ferrari finish over a minute ahead of the RBRs and McLarens in bone dry conditions on a track that traditionally acts as an arena where you could clearly see the performance differentials between cars? Sure you could argue that three of those four drivers had problems before or during the race but to that extent? Really?

As I said its great to see Williams finally win a race again and as a Sauber supporter at least I can imagine them getting another couple of podium finishes this year but can I truly honestly say to myself that its entirely due to their having developed a cracking car and not being lucky with getting the most out of the tyres that particular weekend?

As for Alonso and Perez in Sepang, the conditions were wet and changing so one could view the results as being typical for such freak conditions like Fisi's win back in 2003 (?).

[F1boat]

Malbec, the teams of Williams and Sauber obviously built cars who are competitive with the current tires :)

[Malbec]

It is unfair to attribute the success Williams has experienced this season to how they have been managing the tyres.

Adam Parr did a huge amount of work towards the end of last year and the beginning of this one, turning things around. He has changed some of the old guard, streamlined the Grove team and brought in some very tallented personnel from rival teams.

There was also the strategic decision taken to drop Cosworth in favour of what is argueably the best engine out there; Renault.

What has happened at Williams is a much needed realignment of the team during the last couple of years that was accomplished by a creative Chairman and a team that deserves to be back at the top.

Is it so surprising?

I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that Williams have done a great job turning their performance around, and I agree that the management decisions made over the past year or so have worked. Also, Williams have showed great pace for short periods earlier in the season but again do you think they are genuinely 1 second a lap quicker than an RBR or a McLaren?

[F1boat]

What "genuinely" means? In life you never have "perfect" circumstances.

[F1boat]

Yes, in reality McLaren had the pace to win at least two more races (China and Spain). They made mistakes and paid costly for them. This doesn't diminish the victories of Mercedes GP and Williams. Like Red Bull in 2010 - made many mistakes and let Ferrari and McLaren to benefit. The difference is that now we at least have fun races.

[F1boat]

I was just saying, not arguing ;)

[Malbec]

Of course they are not that far ahead or evenly consistently at the front with figures like that. That is enough for total dominantion of the season and I don't see them finding speed like that overnight especially when they are not faster than McLaren in qualy trim.

Ok then. I'll discount Lewis' time because he finished at the back, he only finished 1 minute 8 seconds off Maldonaldo after a 66 lap race. Button however finished 1 minutes 25 off Maldonaldo which is way over a second a lap and beyond bad handling he had no race issues to explain his poor performance.

I'll admit thats a very crude comparison but it shows exactly how dominant Williams were on Sunday against the traditional front runners. Since you agree that you don't believe that level of pace is what the Williams is really capable of over the full season then I'm sure you'll agree then that their use of the tyres was the likely cause for their sudden pace. So basically it boils down to the fact that victory is pretty much a lottery depending on how well a particular team gets to grips with a tyre on any particular weekend.

I appreciate that people think that the teams get the optimal tyre use through merit but if over a full season well resourced and extremely engineering heavy teams like McLaren and Red Bull get it consistently wrong while smaller less well resourced teams get it right on a regular basis then that suggests otherwise.

[F1boat]

Maybe because smaller teams searched for years for small benefits while biggies were sure that their aero superiority will prevail. I'm not sure that this is the reason, but it may be. It may not be on pure luck. But still - the rules are the same for everybody, I agree that the tires might be made to prevent domination, but that's not so bad IMO.

[F1boat]

Likewise ;)

We have also seen since Pirelli have come intot he sport that pole position is very important. It is so easy to build and maintain a gap with these tyres in clean air and I have no doubt Lewis would have enjoyed an Abu Dhabi style dominance had he not been demoted 23 places on the grid.
Probably, although he struggled in Oz and Malaysia.

[jens]

I appreciate that people think that the teams get the optimal tyre use through merit but if over a full season well resourced and extremely engineering heavy teams like McLaren and Red Bull get it consistently wrong while smaller less well resourced teams get it right on a regular basis then that suggests otherwise.

Umm, Red Bull and McLaren are leading the championships, which means that they have been getting it right more often than midfield teams. ;) If RBR and McLaren were 6th and 7th in WCC, then I'd agree with you.

[Malbec]

Umm, Red Bull and McLaren are leading the championships, which means that they have been getting it right more often than midfield teams. ;) If RBR and McLaren were 6th and 7th in WCC, then I'd agree with you.

Thats why I said if :wink: Its odd though that more people aren't at all perturbed by a very unexpected result at a track that rarely ever produces surprises.

[SGWilko]

Thats why I said if :wink: Its odd though that more people aren't at all perturbed by a very unexpected result at a track that rarely ever produces surprises.

Indeed, cos we all love a good procession, eh?

[zako85]

I'll admit thats a very crude comparison but it shows exactly how dominant Williams were on Sunday against the traditional front runners. Since you agree that you don't believe that level of pace is what the Williams is really capable of over the full season then I'm sure you'll agree then that their use of the tyres was the likely cause for their sudden pace. So basically it boils down to the fact that victory is pretty much a lottery depending on how well a particular team gets to grips with a tyre on any particular weekend.


The technical regulations are so tight this year that winning the races may be down to suspension setup, strategy, good pit work, and good tire management. However, I really don't like the way the word "lottery" is being thrown around. Suspension tuning and tire management are not a lottery. I want to believe that some teams and drivers have done a better job than others, and that's that. Was it because of this "tire lottery" that McLaren screwed up so many of its pit stops this year and then under-fueled Hamilton last weekend? I don't think so. It's just bad form IMO. No longer it's enough to have a good driver and a fast car. Now they have to work very hard for the wins every race weekend.

In my view, the technical regulations are so tight that a weaker team can score if everything goes its way on a certain weekend. For years, this was the goal that motivated various funding caps, engine development freeze, tire unification, many other rules, and this is the result. I think this situation is similar to IndyCar before 2012. Before 2012, IndyCar was a spec car series with everyone using two similar types of chassis of the same maker, and only one engine. The top two teams still won most races, but lesser teams still managed to surprise every few races, with Dan Wheldon's 2011 Indy 500 win being the win that surprised most last year.

So far I like this years championship. The only big problem that I see is that teams are not given enough tires to really duke it out without any reservations in the qualification sessions.

[wedge]

Even if Maldonado's win does turn out to be a fluke, I honestly don't think his strong performance devalues the championship - remember that he was chasing Alonso for 5th in Australia when he crashed so it's not like his Spanish pace was a total shock.

Yes, I agree. Sorry, but I have strong conflicting emotions and finding myself questioning my enthusiasm for the sport.

But regards to the latter its a great difference in performance. A midfield team generally does not suddenly make up a second unless its in the rain and driven by an exceptional driver. Sorry but at the time of writing there was nothing to say Pastor is exceptional.


I don't understand either. Even during the Ferrari/McLaren/Williams domination of recent years, before Pirelli apparently "ruined" everything, you had teams like Jordan or Stewart winning the occasional race.

There have been certain exceptional circumstance in the mantra of: to finish first, first you must finish - which was how Johnny Herbert got his first win for Stewart' in the late 90s Jordan were at their peak at being a geniune frontrunner as a 3rd placed constructor but by and large it was down to talent. The ability to polish a turd by maximising the car, transcending it than a lesser driver would so hence the term 'outdriving' a car and doing it consistently.

Gilles was a cult hero because he won races in a Ferrari cum "Cadillac" in 1981, Senna became an overnight sensation after the 1984 Monaco GP then proved his worth that year by dragging the car into the points then getting wins for Lotus, Schumi proved his worth for Benetton, Hamilton showed that his talent was genuine in 2009.

With the examples given the sense of satisfaction from the results was immense which I'm not getting this year - Individually the races have been great but as whole some of the wins feel like flukes.

[wedge]

That's it, really. I think that fans of the big teams (and one particular driver) are unhappy that there are new faces who appear to be competitive.

It has nothing to do with fanboyism and for the record, unlike some people, I have equal admiration for Hamilton & Alonso

By the same token I could accuse others of being drowned in feel-good stories but don't quote me on it because I know its a cheap shot for this debate just as favourite drivers are.

[Tazio]

Yes, I agree. Sorry, but I have strong conflicting emotions and finding myself questioning my enthusiasm for the sport.

But regards to the latter its a great difference in performance. A midfield team generally does not suddenly make up a second unless its in the rain and driven by an exceptional driver. Sorry but at the time of writing there was nothing to say Pastor is exceptional.



There have been certain exceptional circumstance in the mantra of: to finish first, first you must finish - which was how Johnny Herbert got his first win for Stewart' in the late 90s Jordan were at their peak at being a geniune frontrunner as a 3rd placed constructor but by and large it was down to talent. The ability to polish a turd by maximising the car, transcending it than a lesser driver would so hence the term 'outdriving' a car and doing it consistently.

Gilles was a cult hero because he won races in a Ferrari cum "Cadillac" in 1981, Senna became an overnight sensation after the 1984 Monaco GP then proved his worth that year by dragging the car into the points then getting wins for Lotus, Schumi proved his worth for Benetton, Hamilton showed that his talent was genuine in 2009.

With the examples given the sense of satisfaction from the results was immense which I'm not getting this year - Individually the races have been great but as whole some of the wins feel like flukes.Something happened in Q3 when there was a window of opportunity that A) Fred was Lucky enough get a wind advantage :confused: of optimum barometric pressures, B) so did Maldo, And C) the boss had time in the pocket.....bad pennnalty!

[DexDexter]

I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that Williams have done a great job turning their performance around, and I agree that the management decisions made over the past year or so have worked. Also, Williams have showed great pace for short periods earlier in the season but again do you think they are genuinely 1 second a lap quicker than an RBR or a McLaren?

What about Lotus? Why are they so quick at every race? That IMO shows that if you have a great car, you'll be quick everywhere with these tires. Red Bull has had problems since day one and Mclaren have a habit of having good and bad races. Williams has shown flashes of speed the whole year if you look at the races and lap times. Edit: (As you point out in your message :) )

[wedge]

Informative article by Mark Hughes and a conclusion that I agree with.


Within this ambiguity it becomes more difficult than ever to assess the performances of the drivers. Maldonado drove a perfectly controlled race, delicately balancing the requirements of looking after the Williams' rear tyres while sustaining big pressure from Alonso. It was a thinking drive which combined with his qualifying speed became the winning combination. But, like Nico Rosberg's China win, or Jenson Button's in Australia, it was a drive that was all about measuring out the energy of the tyres in the fastest, most efficient way. The sustained aggression and relentlessness, maintaining flat-out on-the-limit driving for lap after lap, a skill that so few can master, is currently an obsolete requirement.

Measured by the new, Pirelli-dominated, set of requirements Maldonado is a top driver. The worrying thing is that he may be equal first with the 23 others.

Confusion reigns in Spain | Features & Experts | Sky Sports Formula 1 (http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/news/22058/7755979/Confusion-reigns-in-Spain)

[Malbec]

Yes, I agree. Sorry, but I have strong conflicting emotions and finding myself questioning my enthusiasm for the sport.

This is a good summary for how I feel too.

Yes, I was delighted to see a Williams win or a Sauber challenge for second earlier in the season. Yes I find each individual race utterly absorbing but I also have growing doubts as well.

[Malbec]

What about Lotus? Why are they so quick at every race? That IMO shows that if you have a great car, you'll be quick everywhere with these tires. Red Bull has had problems since day one and Mclaren have a habit of having good and bad races. Williams has shown flashes of speed the whole year if you look at the races and lap times. Edit: (As you point out in your message :) )

Lotus have done a great job and are the only team to be consistent in pace this season, that is true but I don't think its because they have necessarily a great car, more to do with perhaps having a wider operating window with the tyres.

Red Bull may have had problems but Vettel scored a clear victory at Bahrain didn't he before dropping back to be a second slower a lap than a Williams at the next race. Someone on this thread claimed that perhaps Sauber and Williams just made cars really well suited to the tyres. Is that why Sauber went from being second in Sepang to a 10th and 11th at Shanghai and completely out of the points at Bahrain?

Its that kind of variability that I'm talking about.

[DexDexter]

This variability will not last for long in any case, in fact I'm 100% convinced that the status quo will be restored by the end of the season. Then we can think about these magnificent races and the excitement they brought.

[F1boat]

This variability will not last for long in any case, in fact I'm 100% convinced that the status quo will be restored by the end of the season. Then we can think about these magnificent races and the excitement they brought.

Yeah, sooner or later McLaren will stop shooting themselves.

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[Garry Walker]

From webber after the race
I hit the limiter: Webber | Fox Sports (http://www.foxsports.com.au/motor-sports/formula-one/mark-webber-struggled-to-pass-due-to-lack-of-top-end-speed-during-the-spanish-formula-1-grand-prix/story-e6frf3zl-1226354610821)
Not all fans enjoy this artificial racing, only those with IQ below 80 enjoy it.



In Spain Lewis Hamilton started not towards the back, but at the back, and yet he finished 8th through a combination of clever strategy and level-headed driving. So it can be done, it's just extremely difficult. And here's the thing: it's meant to be difficult. If Lewis had had tyres with what you can actually race with and push with, he could have maybe even done better. Now, all he did was slowly drive along saving his tyres and not pushing. Instead, if we had had proper tyres, we could have witnessed him pushing like hell for all race.



Yes, in reality McLaren had the pace to win at least two more races (China and Spain). They made mistakes and paid costly for them. This doesn't diminish the victories of Mercedes GP and Williams. Like Red Bull in 2010 - made many mistakes and let Ferrari and McLaren to benefit. The difference is that now we at least have fun races.
McLaren winning China? What drugs are you on? McLaren was not the fastest car in either of those races or to be more exact, they didn't luck into having their tyres somehow work really well.


Informative article by Mark Hughes and a conclusion that I agree with.
Yeah and I will post this quote which shows how pathetic F1 has become.

/The sustained aggression and relentlessness, maintaining flat-out on-the-limit driving for lap after lap, a skill that so few can master, is currently an obsolete requirement./

Instead we have this fantastic sight of drivers SAVING THE TYRES IN QUALIFYING and drive around at 80% limit.


Yeah, sooner or later McLaren will stop shooting themselves.
Red Bull has been a better package than McLaren in pretty much every race this season.

[F1boat]

Thats pretty lame Garry lol.

Hardly a surprise. I wonder what can one expect from a person who wishes crash for the (one of the) best driver on the grid. I also wonder why the guy keeps posting in a forum, dedicated about racing he founds is for stupid people. And BTW I reported his post. Enough is enough.

[Garry Walker]

Thats pretty lame Garry lol. If I now stroll into the playground and steal your dinner money and tell you only people with an IQ below 40 do not enjoy the present tyre regs, do I get as much respect as you? *puffs out chest* :p
You can do whatever you like, it is a free world and everyone can have an opinion. I have stated mine quite clearly and intend to stand by it.


Hardly a surprise. I wonder what can one expect from a person who wishes crash for the (one of the) best driver on the grid. I also wonder why the guy keeps posting in a forum, dedicated about racing he founds is for stupid people. I have followed F1 for a LONG time, but yes, currently F1 is in the worst state it has even been. Not that I have anything against different people winning, my problem is DRS and joke tyres which don't allow drivers to push, not to mention the idiocy of having people save tyres in qualifying. So my problem with F1 currently is not the results, but the way they have been achieved.


And BTW I reported his post. Enough is enough. Wow, are you 11?

[pino]

Garry, my very last warning to you; stop posting insults or you will be banned !

[Garry Walker]

Garry, my very last warning to you; stop posting insults or you will be banned !

I have sent you a PM

[F1boat]

By the way a question about the pace of Lewis. Do you think that he could have won the race with his 2 stops strategy?

[DexDexter]

Thats pretty lame Garry lol. If I now stroll into the playground and steal your dinner money and tell you only people with an IQ below 40 do not enjoy the present tyre regs, do I get as much respect as you? *puffs out chest* :p

Garry needs to go to the sauna.

[wedge]

By the way a question about the pace of Lewis. Do you think that he could have won the race with his 2 stops strategy?

Possibly, yes. When you get the sweetspot on tyres you are more strategically adaptable.

[wedge]

Red Bull has been a better package than McLaren in pretty much every race this season.

Unless you have access to McLaren's & RB's data how do you know or quantify it? It's very subjective.

[F1boat]

Possibly, yes. When you get the sweetspot on tyres you are more strategically adaptable.

I think so as well...We have to see whether he would replicate this form in Monaco. Not a fan, but the kid was mighty impressive in Spain.

[Garry Walker]

Garry needs to go to the sauna. I was there yesterday, pretty good. Maybe I will go tomorrow too.


Unless you have access to McLaren's & RB's data how do you know or quantify it? It's very subjective.
Why don't you cry about F1boat who seems to be so sure McLaren has been the car to have?

[wedge]

Why don't you cry about F1boat who seems to be so sure McLaren has been the car to have?

I think that answer says it all.

Certainly McLaren's race pace does not match its performance single lap. Conversely it appears/ed to be the opposite for RBR.

Is it fact that RBR have the better package since the start of the year as you have claimed? The radical revisions and iterations of their sidepods would probably not support this view yet Vettel's confidence/struggle to adapt to the car in China would advocate it.

[Garry Walker]

I think that answer says it all. If F1boat can claim McLaren has been superior to RBR, and I claim the opposite, why don't you ask from both of us to prove our cases?


Certainly McLaren's race pace does not match its performance single lap. Conversely it appears/ed to be the opposite for RBR.RBR was faster on single lap than McLaren at Monaco for example. But in racepace there is no question, Red Bull was faster in Malaysia, Shanghai, Bahrain, Monaco and even Barcelona.

[wedge]

If F1boat can claim McLaren has been superior to RBR, and I claim the opposite, why don't you ask from both of us to prove our cases?

RBR was faster on single lap than McLaren at Monaco for example. But in racepace there is no question, Red Bull was faster in Malaysia, Shanghai, Bahrain, Monaco and even Barcelona.

First, I don't mind both but its bests to explain your point than throwing toys out the pram.

To some extent I agree with both Garry & F1boat.

Being supposedly quick is one thing, extracting the car's performance and translating it into results is another.

[F1boat]

For me it is puzzling that Garry considered Red Bull to be faster than McLaren in any race, except Bahrain and Monaco. Over the whole race weekend they have been easily better than them in all but these two races. The problems with the pits and strategy are another matter to them. But then again Garry considers Vettel to be considerably weaker than Button and Hamilton, a view which I do not share at all. So this explains the huge differences in our assertions of the current pecking order in F1.

[Knock-on]

Garry is correct IMHO that the Red Bull has been consistently better in both Q and the Race over McLaren. They also have managed the tyre situation better and made their strategy work better s well.

McLaren are struggleing with the constantly changing tyres. This is not Pirelli's fault s they have produced a tyre that they were asked to do. McLaren's problem is that the tyre erformance is so dynamic that they just haven't been able to predict them accurately. What they think is happening is not being bourne out with times and endurance. A degree change in temp is changing the whole characteristic and performance.

I'm not making excuses for McLaren and not criticising Pirelli for doing what was asked but possibly the FIA needs to ask them to reign it in a bit. The teams need some degree of predictability IMHO although I think the tyres are not far away from where they need to be and ultimately it's McLarens job to use the tools it has to the best of their ability.

[wedge]

Garry is correct IMHO that the Red Bull has been consistently better in both Q and the Race over McLaren. They also have managed the tyre situation better and made their strategy work better s well.

Australia - McLaren beat RBR in quali. Near equal in race, Button drove the perfect race, Hamilton harder on his tyres.

Malaysia - Hamilton wears his tyres out more.

China - RBR brought new aero/sidepod package that flummoxed Vettel. Strong race pace so whatever potential the car has the results don't show it.

Bahrain - RBR hands down the better car.

Spain - Provisional pole and 2 stop race suggests Hamilton had the car to beat. RBR had front wing problems on race day for both drivers.

Monaco - RBR better car.

RBR arguably the better package but the results don't necessarily show it. As I said earlier, having the quickest car is one thing, extracting and getting results is another. History show you that the quickest cars aren't necessarily WDC winners.

[N4D13]

Here's something I wanted to share with you.

In the first three races of 2012, from what we've seen so far, it looks like having the fastest car isn't enough to win. It looks like rather than being outright fast, the most important thing seems to be getting the tyres to work, and a small change in temperature can have huge consequences on a car's handling and performance. Is this really what the sport should be about, and is it what we'd like to see? Personally, I'm a bit disappointed to see how these three first races have become sort of a lottery in which the car which can get its tyres into the optimal temperature window will win, even if it's not really fast. This was specially obvious in the Malaysian GP, with Ferrari and Sauber going faster just because they made the tyres work better on wet conditions, yet were basically nowhere in China. I wonder if, in Pirelli's intentions to make the championship more exciting, they went a step too far and made tyres which were simply unpredictable.

Of course, time will tell whether the teams will get on top of the tyres or not, but what we've seen so far from the 2012 Pirellis is a bit absurd, isn't it?
Well, I think this is a good time to bring this thread back up and also to enjoy a BIG slice of humble pie.

Oh, and congratulations to Pirelli for making the Valencia race entertaining. If even this race was something one could watch without feeling the need to take a nap, it must be that the tyre guys have made a helluva job.

[52Paddy]

Well, I think this is a good time to bring this thread back up and also to enjoy a BIG slice of humble pie.

Oh, and congratulations to Pirelli for making the Valencia race entertaining. If even this race was something one could watch without feeling the need to take a nap, it must be that the tyre guys have made a helluva job.

Respect for that.

[rjbetty]

Did anyone watch the 2002 season? I can quickly decide which season I prefer out of 2002 and 2012. :)

[wedge]

Well, I think this is a good time to bring this thread back up and also to enjoy a BIG slice of humble pie.

Oh, and congratulations to Pirelli for making the Valencia race entertaining. If even this race was something one could watch without feeling the need to take a nap, it must be that the tyre guys have made a helluva job.

Overblown reaction considering it was a race filled with incidents and drama.

It's only Valencia.

Certainly won't be missed when its taken off the calendar.

[N4D13]

Overblown reaction considering it was a race filled with incidents and drama.

It's only Valencia.

Certainly won't be missed when its taken off the calendar.

I know, I know, but still, how many overtakes did we see during the race? And they weren't due to DRS - it was mostly the tyres. This is Valencia we're talking about, after all. It's given us the dullest races over the last few years, so this has been a welcome change.

Oh, and one more thing - yes, there have been lots of incidents and stuff, but still, how much of the drama was caused -at least, partly- by the tyres? I don't think we would have seen the Maldonado-Hamilton crash or that we would have been so worried by overtakes after the SC if it hadn't been because of the tyres. ;)

[SGWilko]

It is interesting how there are two dimensions to the 2012 Pirelli's;

Thermal deg and abrasion deg. A car that heats the tyres well was suffering thermal deg in Valencia, but not in Canada, where the main reason for degradation was due to lack of traction taking life out the tyre.

This clearly explains the see-saw between races.

[donKey jote]

I know, I know, but still, how many overtakes did we see during the race

way too few, thanks to the donkey coverage :mad: :dozey:

ahh, cheers slowson :D
http://www.motorsportforums.com/f1/151785-amazing-alonso-6.html#post1047335

[wedge]

It is interesting how there are two dimensions to the 2012 Pirelli's;

Thermal deg and abrasion deg. A car that heats the tyres well was suffering thermal deg in Valencia, but not in Canada, where the main reason for degradation was due to lack of traction taking life out the tyre.

This clearly explains the see-saw between races.

Not really.

Seriously, this time!

The latter was exaggerated by tyre strategy.

Circuits regarded as low deg we've seen team going for/gambling on 1 stops as in Monaco & Canada.

It used to be the case the one could a good/reasonable prediction based on circuit type but it doesn't seem so this year. Lewis didn't have a race winning car in Monaco but was in Canada.

I think it is much, much more complex.

For instance:

The closeness of the competition. The banning of EBD's equalised the field so perhaps aero revisions/updates affects the downforce produced and consequently affects tyres

It seems that some cars have a favoured temperature range. RBR and Lotus seem to like warm temperatures and perhaps, therefore temperature sensitive such as temperature fluctuations over a race weekend. After the Spanish GP Alan Permaine of Lotus/Renault said his cars lost performance as the temperature dropped during the weekend.

[CNR]

the best fix would be if each team lent them 1 car from last year to test with
Pirelli unhappy with 2010 test car solution (http://www.inautonews.com/pirelli-unhappy-with-2010-test-car-solution)

The notoriously-small operating ‘window’ of this year’s Pirelli tyres could have been avoided, with the help of the competing formula one teams. That is the claim of the Italian marque’s F1 chief Paul Hembery, who said the sport’s official supplier did not foresee the full characteristics of the 2012 tyre.
“The same tyres used on a 2010 car do not have the same level of challenge,” the Briton is quoted by Brazil’s Totalrace.

[Knock-on]

Pirelli says Spa tyre selection should allow drivers to push - F1 news - AUTOSPORT.com (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/102010)
Pirelli to go hard and medium for Spa to allow drivers to push.
Sounds good

[kfzmeister]

Overblown reaction considering it was a race filled with incidents and drama.

It's only Valencia.

Certainly won't be missed when its taken off the calendar.

Not as long as Alonso keeps winning races and championships! ;)

[wedge]

Pirelli says Spa tyre selection should allow drivers to push - F1 news - AUTOSPORT.com (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/102010)
Pirelli to go hard and medium for Spa to allow drivers to push.
Sounds good

Where's Ioan?

The cynic in me says the response is PR BS to cover themselves after the furore last year with blistering and camber.

However, its the logical tyre choices. There's been some funny tyre allocations this year but they didn't go aggressive in Hungary it showed that is possible to manage the tyres and the ability to push hard when needs must.