Ferrari - Pirelli restrictions like having "10 policemen in the garage"

French Grand Prix

Ferrari - Pirelli restrictions like having "10 policemen in the garage"

A technical directive was issued tightening tyre parameters for the French GP

Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale

Saturday 19 June 2021 11:30

Ferrari sporting director Laurent Mekies has suggested the new technical directive for the running parameters of Pirelli's tyres is like having "10 policemen in the garage".

The FIA issued the directive ahead of the French Grand Prix in the wake of the Italian tyre manufacturer's investigation into the cause of the blowouts suffered by Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Aston Martin's Lance Stroll in Baku.

Mekies, who previously worked on the other side of the fence with the FIA, explained that the 18-page directive was not a new set of regulations.

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"Allow me to stress that the technical directive, as lengthy as it is, does not change the regulations," said the Frenchman.

"It is only there to make sure the FIA has the means to enforce what was already written. It is like having 10 policemen in the garage.

"If we need to go there to make sure we have a safe sport and a fair sport then fair enough. I think it is about enforcing what is already there."

F1 not becoming overregulated

The directive is the second such document given to teams in the early stages of the season after the indication that sterner tests would be performed on so-called flexi-wings from this weekend.

Asked whether the sport was becoming overregulated, Mekies replied: "It is not overregulating to specify what pressure the tyres should be running to and what temperature the tyres should be running to.

"I don't think it is. It needs to be enforced because it is a key safety parameter and it is a key performance parameter so this is probably why it comes into a great amount of focus right now.

"I don't think it is a matter of overregulating, I think it is a matter of enforcement and I think as a community we should very much welcome that there will be additional checks so that we can go out there being sure that everybody is on the same page."