Hamilton calls potential ban on tyre blankets 'dangerous'

Lewis Hamilton is unimpressed with F1's proposal to ban tyre blankets in the future, calling the move "dangerous" and "pointless" for the sport.

The teams, F1 and the FIA are set to vote on a proposition to outlaw tyre warming from 2024 after next summer's British Grand Prix.

Formula 1's exclusive tyre supplier Pirelli has been working towards producing a product that would no longer require heated blankets, a move that undertaken as part of Grand Prix racing's sustainability efforts.

Despite the complexity of producing a tyre that would not require pre-warming, Pirelli claims that it is making progress and will be ready to supply a product in time for a post-British Grand Prix test, after which a final call will be made and subsequently followed by a vote.

"Silverstone is one of the races where we have two days of testing after the race," explained Pirelli F1 boss Mario Isola.

"And the idea is that after Silverstone, we will analyse the data, and we will analyse the situation together with the teams, the FIA and F1.

"Then we will decide if we can achieve the target for 2024 or if it is necessary to postpone it."

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Despite Pirelli's confidence in achieving its objectives, many in the F1 paddock have doubts over the merits of banning tyre blankets.

A worried Hamilton questioned the benefits of the change, calling it a "pointless exercise".

"I think it’s dangerous" he said in Bahrain. "I’ve tested the no blankets, and there is going to be an incident at some stage. So, I think it is the wrong decision.

"You have to drive multiple laps to get the tyres to work. The whole argument is that taking away the blankets is going more sustainable and more green, but in actual fact we just burn more fuel to get the temperature into the tyres.

"The more concern is when you go out: you are skating around and it is very twitchy. If someone else is on tyres that are working, you can easily collide with them. So, it is a pointless exercise."

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz was on the same page as the Mercedes driver as disputed the sustainability benefits of doing away with electric blanket.

"I still don’t understand why F1 are moving away from blankets, because for me it makes no sense," he explained.

"You are burning more fuel, more tyres. Even on sustainability, I just don’t understand the philosophy. Also there are risks with these lower ride height cars.

"But it is a direction that F1, the FIA and Pirelli have decided to take, so we need to adapt I guess."

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