F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Bottas wary of F1 tyre blanket ban: 'Not the way to go'

Valtteri Bottas believes that a tyre blanket ban in Formula 1 might not be the way to go given the potential drawbacks involved with the move.

Formula 1 has concluded that electric tyre warming blankets are a tool that teams can dispense with in the future.

A subsequent ban on tyre blankets is scheduled to come into force in 2024, but tyre supplier Pirelli is already preparing for the change that involves the design of new tyre compounds.

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.

Banning tyre blankets has drawn a few strong reactions from drivers, with Lewis Hamilton calling the move "dangerous and pointless" for the sport.

"I think it’s dangerous" Hamilton said in Bahrain earlier this month. "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."

Bottas admits that he shares part of the worries of his former Mercedes teammate, even if Pirelli is working hard to design a product that will comply with the new blanket-free constraints.

"It’s quite a new concept for Formula 1 cars, with the amount of load we have in the cars," he said. "And having such a tyre that works from low temperature to high is not easy to make.

"I think Pirelli is really working hard on it. Obviously, warm-up is a bit of an issue when you don’t have blankets. But Bahrain is probably the easiest track to get the tyres to warm-up so it was actually manageable."

©AlfaRomeo

Bottas also points to the tyre's drop-off performance as a likely source of concern.

"The pressure rise is massive when you start cold and when you end up 100°C, so that obviously makes the tyre drop-off significantly worse," explained the Alfa Romeo driver.

"In my personal opinion, I don’t feel that’s the way to go but I think they’re working really hard and it’s obviously not up to us what’s going to happen in the future."

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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.

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