Pirelli tweaks tires after Mercedes request (Update)

Pirelli found in pre-season testing that the new asphalt at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya produced more grip and less tire wear, which means more rubber stayed on the tire which in turn can lead to surface overheating.

As Great Britain’s Silverstone and France’s Paul Ricard circuits also feature new asphalt for this season, like Barcelona, Pirelli opted to reduce the tread depth, and therefore the amount of rubber on the tire, for those three races.

“This was a recommendation that we ourselves brought to the FIA – as we have done in the past at some races – because it is less disruptive than nominating harder compounds, which was the alternative," said Pirelli’s Head of Car Racing, Mario Isola.

“Apart from making a set of tires weigh around one kilogram less, there is no appreciable difference in performance; so in effect this is an ‘invisible’ change.

“It only applies to the three races in Spain, France and Britain: there is no alteration to the tire specification planned for any other events.

"We tested the solution last year, and in terms of performance or other consequences, they are almost transparent.

"Obviously the reason we stayed on the standard tire for this year was in normal circumstances you wear the tire, and if you don't have enough thickness, you wear the tire too quickly."

This is not the first time Pirelli have made such a request – the tire supplier reduced the tread depth in 2011 and 2012 for the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix.