F1: Verstappen backs postponed tire blanket ban

(GMM) Formula 1 has called off the planned banning of tire-warming blankets for 2024, and world champion Max Verstappen could not be happier.

Ahead of Friday’s decisive F1 Commission meeting at Spa-Francorchamps, world champion Max Verstappen was among the drivers arguing against the ban.

#1 Max Verstappen, (NED) Oracle Red Bull Racing, Honda during the Belgian GP, Spa-Francorchamps 27-30 July 2023 Formula 1 World championship 2023.

“People don’t understand how hard it is to even drive a car out of the pitlane with 1000 horsepower,” said the Red Bull driver.

He also argued against the sustainability reasoning for the ban, arguing that tire blankets use less overall power than “the air conditioners in the paddock”.

Verstappen said the ban would also hurt the racing, describing the prospect of one car with cold tires out of the pits trying to race another car with warm tires as “stupid”.

And so, the F1 Commission decided on Friday to postpone the tire blanket ban for a year, even though the FIA insisted that recent testing of 2024 development Pirelli tires showed that it could have been achieved.

“I think it’s just too early in the process,” said Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, supporting the delay.

“We did a test recently with Pirelli and while I think they’ve made good progress, there was a collective decision that it’s not quite ready for 2024.”