Formula 1: Pirelli's 2020 tyre compounds rejected by F1 teams

Pirelli

Pirelli's 2020 tyre compounds rejected by F1 teams

The 2019 tyres will be used again.

Martin Macdonald

Tuesday 10 December 2019 14:32

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Formula 1 teams have voted against using the proposed 2020 new-spec tyres produced by Pirelli next season, with the compounds from 2019 to be used throughout the next campaign again.

Following the climax of the season in Abu Dhabi, teams took to the track again the following midweek to test out new tyres, as well as giving some fresh faces the opportunity to drive a F1 car.

However, the feedback from the drivers wasn’t positive:

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Lewis Hamilton: "I've got to hold back and not say too much at the moment."

Sebastian Vettel: "I think it was a disappointment because there was no step forward. But it's pretty much done, the tyres are built for next year so that will be it."

Charles Leclerc: "It just feels like a harder compound to be honest, so I was sliding more."

Romain Grosjean: "If you put the stickers on the side of them I don't see the difference." Carlos Sainz: "It was not very productive for me. We tried to measure those tyres with a lot of sensors, but they felt very weird and very bad."

Nico Hulkenberg: "It didn't taste so good. It was a strange run, a bit messy, and the balance was quite different and difficult."

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The new tyres were designed to ease degradation and allow for better car performance in dirty air, but after testing in Yas Marina it appears drivers and teams campaigned further for them not to be used in 2020.

GPDA director Romain Grosjean, speaking on behalf of the drivers, revealed that the teams and the FIA have now got to a "unanimous decision" to ditch the 2020 compound, with 70% of teams or more required for the decision to be made.

"The FIA would like to thank both Pirelli and all the teams for their work and collaboration to improve the tyres for the 2020 season and beyond," a statement from the FIA read.

"In any case, the lessons leant will be invaluable for the further improvement of the tyres in the future."