Martin Whitmarsh has come out in defence of Pirelli, calling on teams and drivers to think before they criticise the tyre manufacturer which makes its return to the sport this year.
Pirelli has purposefully aimed at increasing the amount of pit-stops during a race, at the request of FOTA. However, since testing began, the company has been the victim of much criticism for the high levels of degredation its tyres are suffering.
Whitmarsh is disappointed that nobody is talking about the positive aspects of the tyres.
“We complain about high wear, but nobody talks about the good grip of the tyres when fresh,” he told Motor-Sport magazine.
“The drivers and teams should perhaps be more careful in their expressions.”
The McLaren team principal and FOTA chairman says Pirelli has done exactly what was requested of them.
“It’s easy to get into the car and complain, but we wanted more pit-stops and we want cars that at various stages of the race are fighting with their tyres, that’s part of the show. From my position at FOTA, I have heard several times in recent years [that there is more] pressure for tyres with more risk.
“Now we publicly criticise the degradation of these tyres. The job of tyre-supplier is a thankless one, as the higher wear is a feature that was requested to make the show better.”
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