Pirelli threatens to adopt a conservative approach for its 2014 tires

When it entered Formula 1 in 2011, everyone asked Pirelli to provide F1 teams with tires that degrade faster than those previously supplied by Bridgestone in order to end monotonous races.

The faster degradation of the tires allowed teams to implement different strategies, and while it was sometimes a bit complicated to distinguish the hierarchy, it must be acknowledged that it spiced up the races a bit. However, teams have become accustomed to the Italian tires, and Pirelli has continued its work until recent months, where teams and drivers have been rather critical of the tires from the Milan-based company – with a peak of criticism at Silverstone.

Paul Hembery, the competition director at Pirelli, has continuously expressed dissatisfaction with the criticisms directed at Pirelli because, in his view, the company is only doing what was asked of them upon their arrival. He confided to Autosport in Austin that the need must be clearly defined for the next season: “We just want to be told what to do. We want a clear and clearly defined need because the characteristic [of the criticisms] this year is that people may have forgotten what was asked of us. It got lost somewhere along the way, and it’s the most important thing we want to ensure gets resolved. Someone needs to tell us what they expect.”

Hembery even went further, admitting that in the absence of recommendations from teams, the FIA, or the FOM, Pirelli would be conservative in the choice of its future tires: I think what will happen is that we will take a very cautious approach and we will arrive at [races] with one stop after this year. We have seen several things that make us think we need to step back, and we will end up with only one stop, which may not be what the sport wants. But someone has to tell us what the requirement should be.

The love affair between Pirelli and F1 has struggled to go the distance since 2011, and several competitor names have regularly been mentioned to challenge or replace Pirelli, such as Michelin, Hankook, and Kumho. The latter has recently conducted tire tests planned for F1.

Kumho conducted tire tests planned for F1.

The company Kumho Tyres appears to be interested in Formula 1, as evidenced by the recent three-day testing session conducted at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit, revealed by Pitpass. The South Korean company—who is the sole supplier for the Auto GP championships, French Formula 4, and Australian and European F3, and is also involved in touring car and rally championships—began its F1 program in 2007.

In Barcelona, Kumho conducted tests with an Auto GP single-seater – which weighs 615 kg and is powered by a 3.4L V8 engine with over 550 horsepower. Narain Karthikeyan – a former F1 driver – participated in these tests along with Kevin Giovesi and Sung Hak Moon, who some consider the South Korean driver most likely to make it to F1 one day.

The F1 program of Kumho has been designed for the long term, and for now, things are progressing as planned, according to Bong Young Son, the Director of Research and Development at Kumho, as quoted by Pitpass: « Kumho is the South Korean manufacturer that is closest to F1 in terms of technology and capability, and this program is a part of our mission to constantly test our products on real cars and to continuously improve our product to help us achieve our long-term goal of supplying F1. »

An entry into F1 could allow Kumho to gain recognition and develop, which is exactly what the company is seeking in order to make a place for itself among the major manufacturers, as stated by Kumho’s CEO, Jon-Ho Kim, quoted by Pitpass: « We are newcomers, with the shortest history among the top 10 manufacturers in the world, and we must compete in the global market through our technical strength. Motorsports is an area where we can demonstrate our capabilities, and these tests show that we are ready for the challenge of F1, and we will wait for an opportunity to enter this market. »