Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery has responded to Fernando Alonso’s criticism of the tyres the Italian supplier has brought to Korea.
In his post-qualifying interviews, the Spaniard described them as “not good” and claimed they’d only last five or so kilometres.
“The quality of the tyres is on the limit,” he said after qualifying sixth. “It is the same for everybody and I am sure all the cars, if they pushed 100 per cent from the start of the lap, they would not last 5km. So this is not very helpful, and it is not very nice to drive like this for 95 per cent of the lap.”
Hembery hit back, though his comments were made in jest after he suggested the two-time champion go talk to the current championship leader and pole sitter, Sebastian Vettel.
“Of course Alonso is one of the great F1 drivers, so to hear such comments is disappointing and below the standards you would expect from such a champion,” he told Reuters.
“I can only suggest he goes to ask the soon-to-be four-times champion how to get the best from the same tyres,” he joked.
