Hill backs change to F1 tyre rules to boost excitement

Damon Hill has suggested that mandating F1 teams to use all three tyre compounds supplied by Pirelli on race day would help spur the excitement on the track.

Currently, each driver must run in a dry race at least two of the soft, medium and hard slick compounds supplied by Pirelli for every event.

But support has grown lately for a rule change that would force drivers to use all three compounds. Such a change would put an end to one-stop races but add another strategic dimension to tyre management.

"I think there is definitely an argument to say that if you are going to look for excitement and a little bit more of a challenge, then why not?" Hill said on a recent F1 Nation Podcast.

"I think it is a good idea. I have heard it put forward before, it would increase the number of pit stops so you get less of the one-stop factor.

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"It's quite interesting that we have got to the stage where Max has built a gap in the last race we had in Belgium and Lewis built a gap enough to be able to come in for a new set of tyres and get the fastest lap and get a point.

"That's a bit of drama that at first was thought to be a gimmick but now teams are deciding it is important to have that.

"They want to have that scalp and so they come in and do the one-lap stop and that is a bit of drama at the end of the race.

"Having to use all three compounds would throw another challenge in there, so it is possibly a good thing."

While supportive of the idea, Hill also warned that F1 should not make changes just for the sake of whipping up "unnecessary" drama.

"Nobody likes to look foolish but the rain-affected races, the ones where you can't really predict what's going to happen, those are the ones that throw up the most drama," added the 1996 F1 World Champion.

"People come away not knowing themselves - that is entertaining.

"You have to be careful, you are throwing yourself open to the accusation of making unnecessary drama - just gimmicks - but I just think why not?

"They have got the tyres there anyway, so having to use all three tyres, that would mean if they were to go with a very Soft tyre, that would be almost impossible to use in the race for more than a couple of laps."

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