MAY 22, 2013

Wolff trusts Pirelli's fairness

Toto Wolff says he trusts Pirelli to act fairly to all formula one teams.

Toto Wolff says he trusts Pirelli to act fairly to all formula one teams.

Mercedes and Red Bull have been the most vocal about the Italian marque's controversial 2013 tyres, causing Pirelli to announce significant changes for Canada next month.

But after Ferrari and Lotus hit back, the FIA intervened, making clear that Pirelli can only make mid-season changes for safety reasons, or with the unanimous agreement of all teams.

"This is formula one," Mercedes' executive director Wolff told the Austrian news agency APA. "Everybody looks only for his own advantage, which is normal.

"Niki Lauda has said that it should be that the fastest wins, which is not us playing the game for ourselves, but for the fans.

"The rules however don't allow major changes during the season, so putting further pressure or lobbying Pirelli has no meaning.

"I think in the end Pirelli will not change so much during the season that a team will be advantaged or disadvantaged very much.

"Pirelli are too professional for that. We just have to learn to deal with the situation and these tyres," he added.

However, Wolff said he does see grounds for some changes, such as to prevent the sort of delamination issues seen at grands prix this year.

"Delamination is dangerous, so that is a safety issue. It's up to Pirelli to decide," said the Austrian.

Even changes in this area may not occur, however, because Pirelli's Paul Hembery insists the existing 2013 tyre range is safe already.

"It's important to point out that these delaminations, which occur when the tread comes off, do not compromise the safety of the tyres as the core structure of the tyre is not affected in any way," he said.

(GMM)