Pirelli puts its hard tyre in storage until Suzuka

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Pirelli brought out its hard tyre for the first time this year in Barcelona, but after the odd installation lap the compound was quickly pushed aside by teams.

Pirelli's initial pre-selection called for the hard tyre to be used at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone but those plans are likely to be shelved after this weekend.

"If you look at the natural deadline it was before the race in Barcelona, last Thursday," said Pirelli racing manager Mario Isola.

"We decided to postpone the choice until after Barcelona, to give to the teams more information on the performance in Barcelona.

"The process is usually that we make a proposal that we agree with the FIA. Obviously we have to have an internal meeting and decide."

In the past, the hard compound has typically been used in Malaysia, Japan and Brazil.

"We are planning to use the hard in Suzuka," said Isola.

"The other high severity circuit was Sepang, but last year with the new surface Sepang was less abrasive.

Many drivers were critical of Pirelli's conservative tyre selection for Spain, wondering why the SuperSoft compound which had performed well in pre-season testing had been left out.

"It [the super-soft] was OK in that condition with those loads," explained Isola.

"Now we are we with an estimation of the loads of the pre-season test, with a temperature that is different.

"Some years we have much higher temperatures here, so we have to consider this and that's why I don't have the feeling to say yes, I would go one step softer.

"Honestly, this is too aggressive, so we didn't want to oblige the teams to have this compulsory aggressive selection."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.