Hamilton: We need to put pressure on Pirelli to deliver improved tyres

Lewis Hamilton has put pressure on Formula 1 tyre supplier Pirelli to improve grip levels and safety with future compounds.

A regular dry weather grand prix in recent years has consisted of single-stop strategy with little to no variation.

To achieve this, drivers spend the majority of the race managing the rubber and lapping far slower than the modern cars are capable of rather than racing at the limit of adhesion.

Speaking after the Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton said: "We need to put a lot of pressure on Pirelli for the future. They didn’t do a great job with the tyre at the end of last year to develop the 2020 tyre, and so they had to carry over this tyre, the same tyre from 2019, into this season.

“In the past the drivers were not – when they make the target letter, the drivers were not a part of that discussion. That’s why last year I went to the Concorde meeting in Paris to represent the drivers, just so we want to help them make sure they set the target letter correctly because that’s not been done right for a long time."

At the British Grand Prix, Hamilton was one of a number of drivers to suffer a puncture during the closing stages of the race. Hamilton's problem struck on the final lap and the six time champion crossed the line for victory on only three wheels.

He added: “Moving forwards, they’re probably not going to be able to do it for next year, but for 2022, we need a better tyre. We need a tyre that gives us more grip, better safety, key matter there, and enables us to drive closer to cars and give you guys and the fans better racing.

“Right now, [there was] a serious amount of management today, and I don’t think that’s what the fans want. That’s not what a racing driver wants, to have to manage behind a car [sitting] multiple seconds behind because the tyres are not good enough.

“So I really want, we want to help Pirelli to make a better tyre if they can.”

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