F1 drivers insist 2021 tyre concerns not just about lap time
Formula 1 drivers say their concerns about Pirelli’s 2021 tyres go beyond them just being slower, as debate rages about whether the sport should stick with the current rubber.

A number of senior drivers, including Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, hit out at the 2021 prototypes following testing in Bahrain on Friday, with some calling for the current tyres to be kept for next year.
However, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said that F1 needed to accept the slower rubber because Pirelli’s 2021 plans were about making the tyres more robust and avoiding the failures that had been experienced this year.
But despite the safety aspect, drivers say there are bigger issues at play, and other aspects where Pirelli needs to raise its game.
McLaren driver Carlos Sainz said that there was frustration that requests put to Pirelli in a target letter from drivers had not been addressed.
“On the drivers’ target letter, there's also been a lot of requests regarding performance, overheating, and blistering, apart from safety, and obviously, safety is one of our highest priorities, if not the highest,” he said.
“But after two or three years of the same tyre compound, you also expect improvements in performance, or at least in overheating issues that we're having recently.
“So that's why the drivers are talking a bit more about the tyre itself, on that overheating side, and on the feeling of the tyre
“We want to make the tyre more or less prone to overheating, which in the end is what limits us in the race from creating a better show and pushing as Formula 1 drivers.”
Red Bull’s Alex Albon said that the unease about the new tyres was not just based on the lap time, with them being around one second slower, but also in the way that they degraded.
“It’s the wrong way,” he said. “We’re not going in the right direction in terms of tyre development, so it’s been a bit tricky.
“Of course I think there’s some work to be done, and I’m sure we’re going to be doing some more testing on the new tyres, but I think on average, that tyre was about a second off the pace to what we have now. It was quite slow and degraded quite a lot.
“Obviously we’re still pushing for a robust tyre that also delivers good performance, and that doesn’t overheat so quickly. But unfortunately what we tested wasn’t in the right way.”
Sainz’s teammate Lando Norris said he understood the safety reasons behind the changes, but felt that car changes being introduced for 2021 would help ease any concerns anyway.
Asked if drivers would really reject tyres that were being introduced for improved safety, Norris said: “That's a decision we need to have.
“We're having discussions as drivers on what we think is best. Obviously there's the safety concern inside of it, but there's already things being done to limit us from the downforce and grip side of things, which is the aero changes that we have for next year already.
“I think we need to chat a bit more between us as drivers, and the FIA and Pirelli and just come to an agreement together.”
Read Also:
Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo said the level of frustration was understandable considering the efforts teams made to improve car performance, only to have that then taken away by tyres that did not deliver as much.
“We can always ask if we want more grip, that's fair enough,” he explained. “And as drivers, we always probably want more.
“But then there's also just the function of a tyre and giving back something. When the teams develop so much money on aero and mirrors and all these little bits, and then you obviously put a tyre on that doesn't support any of that, then obviously that's where I guess the frustration comes out in a few of the comments and thoughts."
Related video

Previous article
Kvyat: "People are calling me quite a bit" for 2021 drive
Next article
Ferrari: Leclerc lacking usual confidence in Bahrain

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Event | Bahrain GP |
Author | Jonathan Noble |
F1 drivers insist 2021 tyre concerns not just about lap time
Trending
Is Red Bull Hiding the Real RB16B? | F1 2021
Sergio Perez's First Drive With Red Bull Racing
The pros and cons of F1's 2021 rule changes
In the strategy for grand prix racing's future, 2021 represents a significant step towards the goal of closer racing and a more level playing field. That's the theory behind the latest raft of changes, but will they have the desired effect?
What Red Bull is trying to hide with its RB16B launch
Red Bull made no secret of the fact its 2021 F1 car is an evolution of its predecessor, but in keeping the same foundations while hiding some tightly-guarded updates with its RB16B, the team aims to avoid suffering the same pitfalls of previous years
How Albon plans to fight his way out of Red Bull limbo
Alex Albon has faced the media for the first time since he lost his Red Bull drive at the end of 2020 and dropped out of a Formula 1 race seat altogether. He has a history of bouncing back from setbacks, so here's what he must do to rise again
Ranked! Carlin's greatest F1 graduates
Carlin has helped guide enough drivers to Formula 1 to fill out an entire grid, plus a handful of reserves, to create a remarkable alumni list. With Yuki Tsunoda set to join that group, Motorsport.com has ranked its graduates to grace the grand prix scene...
Why Alfa's 2021 launch says more about its 2022 plans
Alfa Romeo launched its C41 with a revised front nose, but there's little to suggest it will surge up the leaderboard in 2021. As the team frankly admits, it's putting its eggs in the basket labelled 2022 and hoping to hold the eighth place it earned last year
Why Gasly’s AlphaTauri haven is a blessing and a curse
Red Bull opted not to re-sign Pierre Gasly even before it decided to drop Alex Albon and so the Frenchman's Formula 1 journey will continue at AlphaTauri. This has positive and negative connotations for one of last season's star performers.
Eight things Red Bull must do to beat Mercedes in 2021
After seven years of defeat at the hands of Mercedes, Red Bull is as hungry as ever to secure a fifth world championship. But there are key challenges it must overcome in 2021 to switch from challenger to conqueror
How AlphaTauri has adapted to F1's new rules
AlphaTauri launched its AT02, complete with a new livery, as it bids to home in on an already-tight midfield battle. Although there were few outright new parts displayed on the launch render, there might be a few clues into further changes down the line…