GPDA back Pirelli's suggestions

The Grand Prix Drivers Association has backed Pirelli's proposal to tweak the regulations for the 2012 F1 season.

Under the current rules each driver on the Formula One grid receive 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.

However teams have generally been wasting sets of tyres, forcing Pirelli to scrap un-used tyres.

So far during the 2011 Formula One season we have seen teams make it through to the final qualifying session to then not take part in the pole position shoot-out so they can save tyres for the race.

But teams have simply then not needed to use their final sets of rubber and 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.

Pirelli would like to either propose that teams only use five sets of each compound, or look at other suggestions so that tyres are not wasted.

Pirelli as yet haven't received backing from the teams, but following an article in Autosport Magazine, they have now received backing from the GPDA.

'The GPDA had read the story on AUTOSPORT, were informed about the situation, and wanted to know what was going on, They said they thought it was silly that we have all these unused tyres and they felt that if we were not going to use them, then we don't want to take them to races.' Pirelli's director of motorsport Paul Hembery told Autosport Magazine.

He added: 'We feel it is a matter of, 'come on, let's have some common sense here.' Let's find a way of either assisting the qualifying process, although we've had some teams not want that, or give the teams more running on a Friday – which would be of interest to the smaller teams.

'The drivers are suggesting exactly what we are, so we will have to have another go with the teams and see if we can find a solution that they are comfortable with.