Pirelli questions the tire change under a red flag
The possibility given to drivers to change tires during a race interruption seems to raise questions with the Italian manufacturer.
The 2011 Monaco Grand Prix was interrupted on the 72nd of the 78 laps, following an accident involving Adrian Sutil, Lewis Hamilton, Jaime Alguersuari, and Vitaly Petrov. Nothing surprising on the narrow track of the Principality’s circuit.
At the time of this interruption, Sebastian Vettel was in the lead, closely followed by Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button. But in the strategy game, the Brit and the Spaniard seemed to be in the best position. Ahead of them, the German had gambled on a single stop and had been on the same set of tires since lap 16, while the Ferrari and McLaren drivers were running on rubber that was respectively 37 and 23 laps newer. This promised an exciting end to the race.
Only, to the surprise of some observers, most of the drivers changed their tires once positioned on the grid, including the reigning world champion (and his two teammates), nullifying the strategies of their pursuers, and notably provoking questions from Paul Hembery, the director of Pirelli Motorsport.
« I can understand that there are concerns in terms of safety, but I put myself in the position of the fans. Many people asked me after the race why Vettel was allowed to change tires. It takes something away from the race, and the big question is: would the outcome of the Grand Prix have been the same if there hadn’t been this change? ».
As early as Sunday, Martin Whitmarsh had highlighted the fact that the possibility of fitting new tires during the red flag had helped strengthen Sebastian Vettel’s lead position in the race while he was experiencing some difficulties due to tire wear, without questioning the appropriateness of such a change.
As a reminder, the 2011 Formula 1 sporting regulations include a section on what happens if a race is stopped by a red flag. Article 41.4 of these regulations states: « Whilst the race is suspended […] cars may be worked on once they have stopped on the grid or entered the pits but any such work must not impede the resumption of the race » (« Lorsque la course est suspendue […] il est possible de travailler sur les voitures, une fois celles-ci arrêtées sur la grille ou rentrées aux stands, mais ces interventions ne doivent pas empêcher la reprise de la course »).
