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Perez, Grosjean call for solution to tear-off issue

Sergio Perez and Romain Grosjean have urged the FIA to come up with a solution for disposing of helmet visor tear-off strips if throwing them out on the track will be no longer allowed.

Helmet of Romain Grosjean, Haas F1 Team

Helmet of Romain Grosjean, Haas F1 Team

XPB Images

Romain Grosjean, Haas F1 Team
Helmets of Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1 Team
The helmet of Nico Hulkenberg, Sahara Force India F1
Sergio Perez, Sahara Force India F1
The helmet of Felipe Nasr, Sauber F1 Team with a tribute to Ayrton Senna
Helmet of Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing
Mini helmets of Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1 Team

A ban on throwing the tear-off strips on the track was set to come into force in this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, but it has been delayed until Monaco after teams were unable to come up with a proper solution for it.

The ban is coming into force in order to avoid the strips getting stuck in car parts, something that could lead to failures.

Force India driver Perez admitted no solution was yet in place.

"We don't have another solution right now. We don't see how [we will do it]," said Perez. "We were discussing the other day at the drivers' briefing – how can you survive with one tear-off the whole race?

"In the first three laps you probably throw three already, so I don't really know how we are going to do it. We were speaking about putting a bin in the cockpit!

"But who knows what will be the solution.

"At the moment I don't see there is a sensible solution. We or the FIA have to think of another alternative in stopping us throwing tear-offs."

Haas driver Grosjean added: "Honestly I don't see a solution – except if you put a glove box in the car I don't see a solution."

The Frenchman revealed he thought the ban had already been implemented for the season-opening race in Australia.

"I thought it was on since Melbourne, so I was always putting my tear-off in the cockpit and it is a disaster," he said. "They make a huge noise and they go all over the place.

"We tried to put tape on the chassis but once you have taped one, where does the next one go? I've removed four to five in the race – and I discovered in Russia that we didn't have to put them in the cockpit. I was trying!"

Perez admitted finding a place to throw them inside the cockpit was very hard given the lack of space.

"Sometimes they break because of the air and you cannot find it, so you have to go to the other side, and then you have to change gear because otherwise you hit the limiters.

"Of course, if it is what we have to do and put it somewhere in the car, then it can work, but where in the car?"

Additional reporting by Jonathan Noble

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