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After his disappointing experience with new 2021 Pirelli tyres Lewis Hamilton said Formula 1 should open up to different tyre manufacturers.
In the Bahrain Grand Prix free practice sessions Hamilton tried out new 2021 Pirelli tyres. He wasn’t very impressed.
“It’s difficult for us drivers to say,” Hamilton said when asked if Pirelli is being pressured to stick with 2020 tyres in 2021.
“We try to be constructive, we try to be supportive in the background and nothing changes. And then even when we say something not too positive in the media nothing changes.”
Hamilton then suggested a new tyre war might be a good option for Formula 1. The last time F1 had two tyre suppliers was in 2006 when Michelin and Bridgestone battled for supremacy.
“I do miss the tyre war that used to happen in Formula 1. I think with that it’s great. When you don’t have any competition, you’ve got no one to base yourself on.
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“Just imagine us as a team, or for Max and his team, and none of us [Mercedes] were here – they wouldn’t develop as they do now because they’re chasing and competing against other people.
“Formula 1 needs to do something different in the future and that’s something we need to do,” concluded the Briton.
Valtteri Bottas also gave his thoughts on the new Pirelli rubber.
“They got a lot heavier like just because there’s more material to try and prevent any punctures or failures that we had which is an important thing,”said the Finn.
“But then on the other hand, the performance was not quite there, as expected. [It was] quite a bit slower and not that nice feeling to drive.
“I wasn’t a big fan of those tyres, personally.”
