“We Have to Be Very Careful We Don’t Upset Pirelli”- Lewis Hamilton Elaborates on Measures to Solve F1 Tire Problems

The Grand Prix Driver’s Association is pushing Pirreli for better tires for 2022. Overheating of tires has been an issue recently and the GPDA aims to fetch proper results from the tire manufacturers.  Lewis Hamilton called for better tires after his sensational win in the Spanish Grand Prix. Prior to the Belgian Grand Prix, queries were raised regarding the pressure the GPDA can apply to Pirelli.

“Nobody’s pushing Pirelli except for us in what we say. But we have to be very careful because we don’t upset Pirelli. But we’re trying to be constructive and we sit down, talk to them“, he stated.

Hamilton clarifies the standing of GPDA on the recent saga over F1 tires.

“Trying to get to the root cause there is what the GPDA tries to do. That’s one of the reasons that I went to Paris when they were doing the Concorde Agreement just to try and help them, say ‘look, involve the drivers, we’re not working against you, we’re part of the sport and we want to help it be great, just as you do‘.

Lewis Hamilton tried to pursue Pirelli

Lewis Hamilton personally traveled to Paris to meet the officials. Hamilton was greeted warmly and a proper discussion was conducted. However, the results seem to be the same.

“They were really welcoming at that time and I think now they’re trying to make the tire target agreement better. But we’re coming to a year [in 2022] where we’ve still got the same tires we had last year”

Hamilton stated that hypersoft tires were a great addition due to their grip. He personally wants that grip to be longer.

“The hyper-soft tire we had was the best tire we had in the sense of the grip that it gave us. So, we want that grip for longer. We don’t want  overheating so we can continue to push and thrash these cars around and get close to these drivers and pull off the maneuvers, which sometimes take us laps to do.”

Hamilton has been trying to negotiate with Pirelli regarding the tires. The current tires have the tendency to overheat and cause problems for the drivers. Overheating can also lead to accidents due to the bursting of tires.

The GPDA and the senior drivers at the circuit are trying their level best to press Pirelli. However, since it is a monopolistic market of Pirelli, it is hard to come by a proper outcome.