Pirelli chief SLAMS Verstappen and other F1 drivers over 'easy' Silverstone complaints

Pirelli chief Mario Isola has slammed a number of F1 drivers for complaining about the tyres.

The Italian company brought a new construction of tyre to Silverstone with the idea that they would continue for the rest of the season.

That is still the plan even though many drivers, including Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, complained of having little grip during practice on Friday.

Verstappen even likened it to driving on ice when he tried the hard tyres, which are the C1s for this weekend.

READ MORE: F1 expert explains how teams decide when to RISK slick tyres in rain

Isola: Criticism is normal

"I believe that it's quite normal when you are the sole supplier to get some criticism," Isola said, as quoted by Motorsport.com.

"What I always say is that if the criticism is good, or to improve, it's always more than welcome. I understand that drivers sometimes are not happy about the performance or the behaviour of the tyre.

"But sometimes also, there are some strange situations. For example, last year we had the first year with the new cars and the new 18-inch wheels and I remember that all the drivers were happy.

"They said, 'Finally, we don't have overheating, we can attack'. We had a lot of races with a lot of action on track.

"This year, they come back criticising the overheating. We have the same tyres as last year. So I guess how it is possible that there is something else? We are trying to do our best. Criticising the tyre sometimes, it's easy.

"But I listen to the drivers because they are the heroes of our sport, and they must be happy. But it's not always easy to make them happy."

READ MORE: Who is Natalie Pinkham? All you need to know about the Sky F1 star

Related

Latest F1 news

British Grand Prix fate sealed in MASSIVE F1 announcement

• February 8, 2024 17:42

British Grand Prix

F1 British Grand Prix 2024: Full guide and ticket details for Silverstone spectacular

• December 22, 2023 16:27