Pirelli seek change in regulations

Formula One's official tyre manufacturer Pirelli are seeking a tweak to the regulations for the 2012 F1 season.

Under the current rules each driver on the Formula One grid receive each five sets of option tyres and six sets of the prime tyre for each race weekend.

With 24 drivers on the grid that works out at 2,280 sets of option tyres and 2,736 that Pirelli have to ship around the world over the course of this season.

The Italian tyre manufacturers obviously would like to cut costs on their manufacturing and other logistical costs and have proposed a tweak to the regulations which has so far not received positive feedback from the teams.

'At the moment, if the teams want to keep the same regulations then we will have to go to the FIA and tell them there is no point in having six sets of one and five sets of the other – we may as well have five and five and we save money.' Pirelli's director of motorsport Paul Hembery told Autosport Magazine.

Pirelli have been left frustrated with teams leaving every race with sets of un-used tyres which then have to be scrapped.

'We have to take these extra tyres to every race, so if they don't want to change the sporting regulations then we can give them the stats that it is 100 per cent certain they are not going to use them, change the regulations and save us all money.'

If Pirelli do not receive backing from the teams, then they plan to approach the FIA to get the rules changed.

Hembery added: 'The FIA does have a role to play in terms of regulations, and we need to have stimulation from them, because it is a cost that has no benefit to the teams, the sport or Pirelli. It is nonsense.'