Perez hits out at “unacceptable” Pirelli tyre failures

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In the round-up: Sergio Perez criticises Pirelli have his tyre failure in Korea which was caused by a flat-spot (pictured below).

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Perez slams ‘unacceptable’ Pirellis (ESPN)

“I think that this is not normal at all. We have a lot of lock ups and it’s easy to lock up in a Formula car. But what is not normal is that we get used to seeing explosions of the tyres and the tread coming away from the tyres. It is absolutely not acceptable for the teams and the drivers. It is just not acceptable.”

Hulkenberg and Massa top the Lotus list (Reuters)

Eric Boullier: “Hulkenberg and Massa are the two drivers you have to consider because of their experience and profile.”

Di Resta: I’ve delivered too (Sky)

“Not too long ago, people were saying [Nico Hulkenberg had] made the wrong decision and I’d made the right decision to stay. But if you look at it now, peoples’ opinions are maybe a bit different.

Ecclestone e Haddad assinam acordo que garante Interlagos na F-1 at?? 2020 (Globo Esporte, Portuguese)

Globo claims Bernie Ecclestone has signed a contract extension for the Brazilian Grand Prix to remain at Interlagos until 2020.

Analysis: Red Bull’s Hot T-Tray in Korea (ScarbsF1)

“With the FOM world TV feed now using on-board Infrared (IR) cameras, it’s been interesting to see how the tyres temperature changes around the lap. But in Korea we were treated to a rear facing IR camera on Mark Webber’s car that showed the front of the T-Tray splitter warming up and staying hot around the lap.”

Nico Rosberg: “The sport is still massively exciting…” (Adam Cooper’s F1 Blog)

“Even Singapore it was not even a tenth of a second in qualifying. He’s not that far away, and things can always go such that I get a shot.”

Webber wants smooth end to F1 career (Autosport)

“I’m looking forward to Brazil in lots of ways in terms of getting more results and having more races to get a nicer finish to the year than we have had in this middle part.”

2013 Japanese Grand Prix – Thursday Press Conference (FIA)

Jean-Eric Vergne: “We struggled the whole weekend to find a correct balance. In the end both cars retired because of brake-ducts being broken. It was probably the issue that we had in the weekend.”

Formula One’s greatest, funniest most approachable driver is really unpopular (GQ)

Adam Hay-Nicholls: “That’s the most annoying thing about Vettel. That, and his screeching “Yes! Yes! And yes again!” over the radio as he crosses the finish line. It’s not that it’s arrogant, it’s that it’s forced. Which is strange, because Vettel is actually one of the most genuine drivers in an environment where many are out of touch with reality (Exhibit A: Lewis Hamilton).”

Murray Walker – it wasn’t work (YouTube)

How to Crash – Safely (YouTube)

Tweets

Comment of the day

@Mike-Dee on Vettel’s view that he isn’t dominating F1 to the extent Michael Schumacher was:

I have to agree with Vettel here. Even in 2011, most of the races were fairly close in the end and there was always a chance that a small error by Vettel would have meant that he would have lost the lead.

This is quite different compared to Schumacher and Barrichello having disappeared out of view after five laps never to be seen again until they lapped most of the field.
@Mike-Dee

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On this day in F1

Alfonso de Portago, the only Spanish driver to score a podium finish before Fernando Alonso, was born on this day in 1928. He shared second place in the 1956 British Grand Prix with Ferrari team mate Peter Collins.

The aristocrat was a versatile sportsman, competing in horse races and the Winter Olympics. He continued racing for Ferrari in 1957, but was killed in the latter stages of that year’s Mille Miglia. His Ferrari 335S crashed into the crowd, killing nine spectators as well as De Portago and his co-driver. The shocking crash led to the end of the Mille Miglia as a competitive time trial.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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61 comments on “Perez hits out at “unacceptable” Pirelli tyre failures”

  1. Jack (@jackisthestig)
    11th October 2013, 0:07

    The only thing DiResta has delivered recently is work for the marshals .

    1. ZING!!!!!!

    2. Oh no you di’int!!

    3. @jackisthestig QUICK, APPLY WATER !

    4. Chris (@tophercheese21)
      11th October 2013, 0:30

      *Apply cold water to the area of burn*

    5. Behind the big four, the best of DiResta isn’t DiResta, it’s Hulk, who left DiResta’s team to join Sauber, who were the best of DiResta in 2012. DiResta should finish DiResta di work for DiResta di marshalls. Now I gotta finish DiResta my pasta, as DiResta dis post is gone.

      1. Wonderful wordplay!

    6. Lol. Great article on GQ and great stat on the radio msg.

  2. Regarding di Resta: “Not too long ago, people were saying [Nico Hulkenberg had] made the wrong decision and I’d made the right decision to stay”.
    Did di Resta ever have an offer to go elsewhere? I can’t remember him having one, so he hardly had much of a decision to make.
    Also, Hulkenberg wasn’t planting his car in the barriers while di Resta was scoring points.

    1. @deej92 There was the rumor last year, after he fired Anthony Hamilton as his manager, that he was on the run for a McLaren sit.

      1. @deej92 @celeste – And I wouldn’t be surprised if di Resta himself was the source of those rumours. He kept talking himself up throughout the year, like when he explained away his lack of pace in Austin being down to the way he was (according to him) so gentle on his tyres.

        If he was ever under consideration at McLaren, they probably didn’t give it too much serious thought. He got very upset when they took Perez – apparently he assumed that being British was more important then being talented – but it really spoke to the way he seems to assume he is destined for great things, even though he doesn’t have the results (or the attitude) for it.

        After four retirements in as many races and at least half of them down to driver error (I missed Singapore), I wouldn’t be surprised if di Resta loses his seat next year.

      2. There are lots of rumours about him, all the time. He starts them via his pr team.

        More reliable information points towards the view that his current team hate him, and he hasn’t got anything to offer apart from middle rank driving skills and possibly Mercedes support.

        1. He might not even have that anymore. He was placed at Force India with a view to promoting him to Mercedes’ line-up when an opening presented itself. But when that opening came, Mercedes went in for Lewis Hamilton. And I’ve heard that Mercedes offered the team an additional engine subsidy to take Sutil. So there’s a very real possibility that whatever bargaining power di Resta had has since gone up in smoke. It wouldn’t surprise me if the team can’t stand him – he’s always making excuses for his poor performance, refusing to criticise the car if he thinks it might be overheard, and has called on the team to hire drivers with their long-term future and loyalty as priorities whilst he makes it knownhe wants to race for a better team.

          What strikes me as odd is that Force India try and position themselves as a team who develop drivers that they can sell on to bigger teams. But they’ve kept di Resta around for three years when it is evident that he’s not going to get any better, and they re-hired Sutil when he’s in the same boat as di Resta. And yet, they have said that a deal to take Kevin Magnussen is “unlikely”. Surely the best way forward at this point would be to dump di Resta and Sutil and take some combination of Magnussen, Stoffel Vandoorne and James Calado.

          1. @prisoner-monkeys While Force India might have said that picking Kevin Magnussen is not very likely, they have usually reserved their picks till after the end of season. I doubt DiResta would get another year within the team and if anything they’d drop him before Sutil. Sutil also brings sponsorship which Di Resta does not. And with Vijay’s non F1 issues, a Sauber like situation cannot be discounted. And Di Resta brings nothing special to the table anyway.

          2. Love to see Magnussen at FI.

        2. his current team hate him

          Haven´t hear anything about this… where do you read this?

          1. Not sure if @hairs had conclusive evidence @celeste , but clearly Paul Resta can’t have endeared himself to them, what with the attitude he shows, where he comes across to some as feeling entitled to a “better” team, while not really delivering the results for it.

          2. Comments from Gary Anderson on the bbc website and a recent column from Martin Brundle on sky’s.

            That and common sense based on his constant public denigrating of the team for being nothing more than a stepping stone, and making mistakes, while making excuses for being beaten by his teammates or smashing up his car. My favourite was last year in Brazil where he claimed the hulk only beat him on “modern” tracks but he would be back on top at “a real driver’s circuit”, trying to make out nico wasn’t a real driver. Then he was embarrassingly outclassed and put it in the wall.

          3. I guess “hate” is a tad overdoing it, but its pretty clear that his remarks towards the team and his attitude overall don’t sit well with the team and with potential other employers.
            I think several of the paddock media did confirm it was a real issue in considering him for a drive.

          4. I also think “hate” might be too strong a word, however, the recurring slump in form part way through a season might be evidence that they warm to the other driver more. I’m not for a second suggesting sabotage, but maybe car development is better suited to driver number two. He doesn’t seem, from the outside, to be able to get his team to fight for him.

        3. When FI start to think about making a decision towards next year’s drivers, it seems very likely that the team members would prefer if they kept Sutil, and I’m sure Mallya et al will get that insight into the team’s opinion on di Resta. Also seeing di Resta’s poor performances won’t be going down well. Fernley hasn’t ruled out having di Resta next year, but he doesn’t even make that decision. We haven’t heard anything from Mallya yet. He might have a dimmer view on the Scot/occasional Italian.

  3. I can’t help but be amused by Alonso’s samurai talk. Reminds me of a 15-year old who tries way too hard to sound wise and full of deep knowledge, desperately trying to get everybody’s attention.

    For the record, before somebody takes this the wrong way, I like Alonso, I think he’s a superb driver. I just find his samurai-esque routine quite childish.

  4. Not too long ago, people were saying [Nico Hulkenberg had] made the wrong decision and I’d made the right decision to stay. But if you look at it now, peoples’ opinions are maybe a bit different.

    Talk less and do more, pretty Paul. Accept your mistakes, head down, carry on. Hulkenberg kept fighting and when the opportunity arouse, he used it and kept it planted. He even went on saying he didn’t think this performance in Korea changed much. And he didn’t crash half as much as you, mate.

    I’m sure you’d not have said the same if that had happened. Specially considering how much you went about you beating Vettel in lower formula and how much you deserved a top drive.

    I sooo, soooooooooooo don’t want that to happen !

    1. @fer-no65

      pretty Paul

      Paul isn´t pretty I mean I agree with you

  5. Once again, there are reminders of why my favorite drivers let their results do the talking.

    I mean, if you are Jackie Stewart or somebody like that, you have earned the right to talk as much as you want. I mention Jackie Stewart because when he was still racing, he was quite vocal. But, when he spoke he had something to say and he could back it up. If, on the other hand, if you have crashed out of the last several races with unforced errors it may be time to just hush up and drive better.

  6. Just wanted to make everyone aware that I have inadvertently added a new f1fanatic to the ranks:

    My little nephew who is only 4 1/2 started watching F1 with me when he came over on Sundays. He seemed to enjoy watching it and he seem to understand and pick up what was happening quite quickly, he seemed to remember Hamilton…Button….etc. However….unbeknownst to me started watching them avidly at home when they were on too…. and one day…. whilst in the car, he quite randomly he asked me “what I thought of Paul Di Resta”. I was taken aback, 1) that he should know one of the lesser know drivers, and 2) He remembered how to say an unusual name….so I tested him further….and asked what his team mate was….”Adrian Sutil” he replied without a thought….pronounced correctly…..another test….I asked…”What is their team…(I thought a little prompt would help…but I was cut-off)….fo..” …”Force India” he said quick as a flash……
    I then tested him on all the teams and drivers, and have found that he can pretty much name them all, with little or no prompting…and I mean very little prompting…..only sounding the first few letters in one or two cases….
    To cap it all off ….he correct on my F1 Knowledge this evening….
    He asked “Is Paul Di Resta British”
    “Yes” I replied
    “And Hamilton”
    “Yes….and Button…there are only three British drivers in F1”
    Silence …and a confused look
    “Er…..what about Max Chilton” he said
    Me…..dumbfounded!

    1. Poor Max. Destined to be remembered as a hairdresser’s model? and he’s got closer to bianchi over the season, too.

    2. @mach1 – Max Chilton isn’t British, he’s, err… Scottish? Damn blast, that doesn’t work this time!

      Great post, looks like he’ll know as much as Keith when he grows up!

    3. Awesome. As my 4 1/2 year old would say. For comparison, he only knows Sebastian and Lewis. And the other Red Bull who he calls Sebastian’s helper. In his defense, most of the races are on when he’s still asleep or half asleep.

      1. “Sebastian’s helper” – that made me laugh, Mark is probably the driver least likely to be helpful to Seb. Well, they aren’t very helpful to each other to be fair.

    4. He got until approximately 13-15 until his associative neuro-connections are full, after that brain will have to use way more energy to make adjustments or create new pathways. Hence lazy teenagers unless you quick to brainwash them with methods of not being lazy before that age :D

    5. My 1 1/2 years old does the sound of the car… sadly he seem to like the red cars more…

      1. Shreyas Mohanty (@)
        11th October 2013, 5:21

        @celeste Well the F138 does look nice! ;)

      2. @shreyasf1fan @bascb oh don´t worry about him, I already working in a plan to bring him to “the blue side” ;)

        1. Shreyas Mohanty (@)
          11th October 2013, 16:34

          @celeste LOL let him grow up to select his team ;) We Tifosi would love a new member, especially the son of a Red Bull fan! ;) xD

          1. @shreyasf1fan Actually my big brother, the father, and my younger brother are both big Alonso/ Ferrari fans. My sister in law doesn´t get “those cars going around for hours”.

            My dad likes F1 but is pretty much neutral, but admits he didn´t like Massa losing the championship back in 2008

          2. Shreyas Mohanty (@)
            11th October 2013, 17:50

            Now that sounds like a perfect family @celeste ! ;)

  7. please, just … **** off, paul. he is without doubt the most annoying and self-centred driver on the grid. people took notice of nico, as the sauber has not been competitive for most of the year, which the force india has (note i said most of the year).

    hulkenberg has diced with, and successfully defended against multuple world champions on track; paul has not. i find nico to be a really likeable driver. i hate the phrase down to earth, but hulkenberg seems just that.

    and i have to laugh about paul saying he is happy at, and wants to stay at force india. i have lost count of how many times he has said he should be taken on by a better team.

    he reminds me of the proverbial child looking in, wanting to be accepted to play with the bigger boys. i hate how paul feels that if something goes wrong, it is rarely, if ever, his fault.

    he beat vettel in the formula 3 euro series by eleven points … that was seven years ago for goodness sake. if paul beats sutil in tbe standings this year, it will be the first time he will have beaten his team mate in formula 1 – do not forget this years car was not designed around sutil and he had a year out.

    remember when paul said teams do not notice him because he has a dull personality, and that he would change that? yeah, that worked out well.

    i really hope force india drop him for next year; an average (if that), bereft of personality driver, who seems ungrateful of the opportunity force india gave him. then i won’t have to continue to endure lazdnby’s hard-on for paul. he too should be let go from sky.

    i posted a similar comment on that sky site; can’t see their moderators ‘approving’ it.

    1. @lucabadoerfan – I absolutely am not a fan of Paul Di Resta, and do not buy into the “hype” he perceived as having. However, to be fair, PdR has sometimes raced well- even with the big boys. He had a great race last year in Singapore, hounding Alonso for 2 hours to finish P4, and had some decent battles in Silverstone this year, like this one, against the recovering Hamilton, while recovering from the back himself (P5 in quali, then excluded through no fault of his own), to finish in the points.

      1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
        11th October 2013, 2:34

        @david-a but he must do that on a regular basis to be noticed for the ones he wants to be noticed by. I mean. he pulls a good trick from his sleeve almost never. Give Hulk the chance and he ALWAYS shows good tricks, for example 2 amazing displays in Brazil: pole in one race, battle with Hamilton on the other, (and a spin in the rain is something great drivers have had too, as Kimi vs Hamilton in Belgium 2008) now the car is on good terms (and I guess that car is not still so good) and Hulk shows himself in Italy and Korea (both fast tracks, while Singapore is just a big Monaco where it’s more common to hold other drivers). So he really, really needs to focus on his work and chitchat less.

      2. The problem is that “sometimes” isn’t good enough. He can’t always do it, given the differences between performance in the car, but if he really wants that race-winning drive that he expects, then he needs to be racing with the front-runners at every single opportunity.

  8. Di Resta. Seriously. Just stop.
    “Oh, look at me, I’m good too, I’m related to Dario Franchitti, I beat Vettel, I should be in a McLaren blah blah blah blah blah..”
    He could fill a hot air balloon in a minute with his self-conceited nonsense.
    You’ve had a couple of ok drives, but then again so has, oh I don’t know, most drivers on the grid?!
    Maybe if you stopped binning it and actually had shown some promise in the past 3 years you would’ve gotten the seat you so rightfully “deserve”.
    Does my head in.

  9. OmarR-Pepper (@)
    11th October 2013, 2:17

    He (Bernie) Who Knows Others (and their money) Is Wise. He (Di Resta) Who (is the only one who) Knows (what) Himself(can do) Is Enlightened (by his own hype only)

      1. Alonso does comment on F1F!

  10. Nice.

  11. Michael Brown (@)
    11th October 2013, 2:31

    Yep. Tires are a joke. Good thing Pirelli are bringing conservative tires next year.

    As for Di Resta, he’s a good driver, but he’s obsessed with the thought of himself being a legend.

    1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
      11th October 2013, 2:36

      @lite992 I guess that on his free time he keeps playing F1 in Legends mode.

      1. @omarr-pepper haha. And driving a Mclaren in f1 2013 I might add. XD

    2. @lite992 – Yeah they are. Hopefully they’ll be a bit more Bridgestone 2010-esque next year, and they can remove those “use 2 types in a race” and “start on qualifying tyres” rules.

  12. @keithcollantine I just used the amazon search in f1fanatic, but it’s only the second time I’ve remembered to use it. Is it not possible to make it more prominent?

  13. Wow, great to see yo met Muzza!!! @tommyb89

  14. That article in GQ about Vettel is nice to see. I remember when he was at BMW and how his mechanics, and all the reporters thought Vettel was the most approachable and funniest driver in the paddock. Its nice to see that people still think the same of him, despite the masses.

  15. I really like Rosberg approach here

    “I go into it with that belief,” he said today. “Even Singapore it was not even a tenth of a second in qualifying. He’s not that far away, and things can always go such that I get a shot.

  16. From Hamilton’s column on the BBC:

    The point of a track walk is to see anything new about the track that might be useful, but we do an ‘out lap’ at the start of first practice, and you take it real easy, so you see everything you need to see then.

    I’m not sure he is right there. I remember a track walk Coulthard did with Vettel a couple of years ago that was shown on the BBC – Vettel was on his knees looking very carefully at a kerb close-up. Surely you can’t see that in an installation lap?

  17. 13 messages from Raikkonen in Korea. Doesn’t he know what he is doing anymore?

  18. Inspirational words for Paul Di Besta. For a guy who has never beaten his teammate… never finished on the podium… and never qualified on the front row of the grid, he seems to talk an awful lot about himself.

    Not to mention the 4 consecutive races he hasn’t been able to keep his car out of the barriers

    This season is a write off from a WDC point of view…. but if Sutil can somehow finish ahead of Di Resta, it would put a really large smile on my face.

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