1
Monisha Kaltenborn thinks F1 should not rule out the idea of reviving a 'tyre war'. Any competing Pirelli and Michelin are doing at present is off the track, as the sport is committed to signing up just one of them to be the sole supplier beyond 2016.
At present, it is not clear what the outcome will be, although it is believed incumbent Pirelli is the frontrunner. "What happens is out of our hands," said Mercedes chief Toto Wolff, "because it's between the FIA and the commercial rights holder to tender and to decide."
What is clear, however, is that Bernie Ecclestone will be talking money with both Pirelli and Michelin. So while Lotus recently struggled to pay its latest bill to Pirelli, it has been rumoured that Michelin is willing to come in and actually pay the teams.
"If we end up with a new tyre deal that requires the teams to go and find more money, then we'll be chasing more money again," Graeme Lowdon, president of the struggling Manor team, said. "It's the old saying: turnover is vanity and profit is sanity."
As far as Sauber chief Kaltenborn is concerned, the most cost-effective outcome for the teams might actually be the resurrection of a tyre war. "I think we should ask ourselves the question: why not go back to having two suppliers?" she told Germany's Auto Bild.
"The tyre war is always spoken about in negative terms, but it is something you can mitigate by making appropriate rules. For the teams themselves it (the tyre war) was actually a good time -- we got the tyres for free and even the marketing was paid for," Kaltenborn added.
However, the report said Ecclestone may not be keen to return to the tyre war, as he cannot then sell lucrative trackside advertising to more than one supplier. (GMM)
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
M. Verstappen
C. Sainz jr
C. Leclerc
Bahrain
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
Australia
Albert Park
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
Monaco
Monte Carlo
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
Austria
Red Bull Ring
United Kingdom
Silverstone
Hungary
Hungaroring
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Italy
Monza
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Brazil
Interlagos
United States of America
Las Vegas Street Circuit
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
113,254 comments on Sauber
5 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Sauber
Replies (1)
Login to replykhasmir
Posts: 893
Not sure that is a good idea, or there would have to very strict rules. One of them being all the teams with the same tyre supplier need to get equal tyres.
In previous tyre wars only the top teams got the best tyres.
Everyone agrees that more should be determined by the skills of the drivers and less by the cars and engineers. So lets not bring in new elements that reduce the importance of the drivers.