Pirelli boss unhappy with Mercedes insinuations of favouritism

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Pirelli CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera isn't happy with Toto Wolff's mischievous suggestion that Ferrari is being favoured by the Italian tyre manufacturer.

Mercedes lost out again to the Scuderia in Monte-Carlo last weekend, with the German team dominated in all departments by the red squad.

But the Silver Arrows main area of weakness compared to its rival is its lack of ability to fully exploit its tyres, with issues centered around the difficulty in reaching an efficient equilibrium between front and rear tyre temperatures.

Toto Wolff intimated that the reason why Ferrari's SF70H is able to better exploit its tyres compared to Mercedes' W08 is an "Italian mystery".

Needless to say, the insinuation need not go down well with Pirelli's boss.

"The tyres are the same for everyone," responded Provera.

"Perhaps Mercedes, have been used to lots of success and now face an uphill task, but they will come back.

"However, with engineers that have worked like a team, Ferrari has done something that no-one expected. You have to give them credit and you have to be satisfied by the work of an Italian team."

Wolff claims Mercedes now the 'underdogs'

It has also been suggested that Sebastian Vettel's commitment to Pirelli's 2017 testing and development programme last year may have in fact provided Ferrari with an edge this season.

Vettel's ability to analyse and process the information for the benefit of Ferrari's design team has undoubtedly led to a car which is able to operate its tyres in the ideal operating range, contrary to Mercedes W08

"It was a very serious piece of work on the part of Vettel and Ferrari," confirmed Provera.

"Vettel was always ready with humility, to test when others were ‘not available’ and the results are the fruit of a lot of passionate work from a team that is totally focused on winning."

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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.