Niki Lauda has slammed the tyre situation in formula one, accusing Pirelli and the FIA of confusing the fans. "The situation with the tyres is absolutely stupid," the forthright triple world champion, broadcaster and Mercedes team chairman and shareholder said.
"Artificially creating more and more pitstops is wrong," Lauda told German newspaper Bild. "Pirelli can't really help it as they are only doing what the FIA ordered them to do, but 90 per cent of the time no one understands what is happening in the races now."
Pole sitter Sebastian Vettel finished the 2013 season opener third on Sunday, while Lotus' Kimi Raikkonen did one fewer pitstop and surprisingly won for Lotus from seventh on the grid. Lauda said the current situation, with the tyres more influential than ever before, is confusing for the fans.
"My advantage is that I can ask our (Mercedes) engineers. The fans cannot. But even our people are confused. When the tyres are so soft, it's bad for formula one. The fans don't understand if there are more than two pitstops. (For F1) it's a fundamentally wrong path."
Pirelli's Paul Hembery hit back: "Many fans have told us they think the racing is more exciting now." (GMM)
Order the latest Mercedes merchandise here!
Situation with the tyres is absolutely stupid - Lauda
- Published on 19 Mar 2013 09:37
-
0
- By: Rob Veenstra
.
Trending news
-
Did F1 deliberately cut away from battery problems at Spa?Formula 1 has denied accusations it deliberately censors onboard camera angles to hide the visible consequences of th...
21 Jul 2026 16:30 -
Why Verstappen's Eau Rouge move left Antonelli baffledAndrea Kimi Antonelli admitted he was caught off guard by Max Verstappen's aggressive overtake during the opening...
21 Jul 2026 15:28 -
What weather conditions will Verstappen face at the Hungaroring?Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing are set to face temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius at the Hungarian Grand Prix...
21 Jul 2026 14:26 -
What time does the Hungarian GP start this weekend?Formula 1 heads to the Hungaroring for the final race before the summer break, with the Hungarian Grand Prix schedule...
21 Jul 2026 13:25 -
Brundle gets emotional over 2026 F1 rules: "Classic circuits are ruined"Martin Brundle has delivered a sharp rebuke of the 2026 Formula 1 technical regulations, arguing that the new generat...
21 Jul 2026 12:23
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
Test calendar
Circuit de Catalunya - Winter testing
-
Jan 26
I. Hadjar
- 1:18.159
-
-
-
Jan 27
M. Verstappen
- 1:19.578
-
-
-
Jan 28
A. Antonelli
- 1:17.362
-
-
-
Jan 29
G. Russell
- 1:16.445
-
-
-
Jan 30
L. Hamilton
- 1:16.348
-
-
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
-
Feb 11
L. Norris
- 1:34.669
-
-
-
Feb 12
C. Leclerc
- 1:34.273
-
-
-
Feb 13
A. Antonelli
- 1:33.669
-
-
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
-
Feb 18
G. Russell
- 1:33.459
-
-
Feb 19
A. Antonelli
- 1:32.803
-
-
Feb 20
C. Leclerc
- 1:31.992
-
-
World Championship standings 2026
Pos
Driver
Team
Points
Pos
Team
Points
Related news
Give your opinion!
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Spain
-
Bahrain
-
Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
-
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
-
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
Austria
Red Bull Ring
3 - Jul 5
United Kingdom
Silverstone
17 - Jul 19
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
Driver profile
- Team Aston Martin
- Points 1,480
- Podiums 56
- Grand Prix 161
- Country Germany
- Date of b. Jul 3 1987 (39)
- Place of b. Heppenheim, Germany
- Weight 62 kg
- Length 1.75 m
- 281,401 comments on Aston Martin
57 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Sebastian Vettel
Team profile
- Team name Pirelli
- Base - Italy
- 37,476 comments on Pirelli
- 3 members have this team as their favourite
- Tweets about Pirelli
Replies (0)
Login to reply