Pirelli came under fire again at the Korean Formula One Grand Prix after Mark Webber joined Fernando Alonso in hitting out at the tyre manufacturer.
Australian driver Webber picked up a puncture from debris when the right-front tyre on Sergio Perez’s McLaren exploded in front of his Red Bull car in Sunday’s race, bringing out the safety car.
“That is how it is. The drivers aren’t super important – it is what other people want,” an angry Webber was reported as saying by Autosport.com without elaborating on who he thought the other interests were.
“The tyres are wearing a lot and they also explode a bit – but that is for Pirelli to sort out.”
Webber retired from the race over a separate incident shortly after the puncture.
Drivers have complained on several occasions this season, saying the Pirelli tyres are too fragile.
Webber, whose race was over when his Red Bull went up in flames, added: “Pirelli will put the puncture of Perez down to a lock-up but the reason the drivers are locking up is because there’s no tread left.”
Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s underfire motorsport director, defended the Italian manufacturer.
“Regarding Sergio Perez’s front-right tyre issue, we have been able to determine very quickly that it was the result of a flat spot caused by a lock-up under heavy braking,” he said.
“We’re obviously on exactly the same construction as we raced here last year, so there’s no underlying problem, while flat spots or punctures have just always been an integral part of racing.”
Autosport reported that Hembery had apologised to Ferrari’s Alonso prior to Sunday’s race, after the two-time world champion had similarly criticised the Pirelli tyres.
An unamused Hembery had suggested in reply that Alonso ask world champion Sebastian Vettel if he wanted to know how know to better manage his tyres, a key ingredient in Formula One.
Pirelli changed the design of the tyres following a series of dramatic tyre failures at the British Grand Prix in June, after which drivers had threatened to boycott the German Grand Prix if the problem was not solved.
However drivers have continued to voice their displeasure at the tyres for not being durable enough.
