Pirelli not sure F1 needs 'tyre war'

May 21 - Pirelli is not sure a 'tyre war' is the solution to F1's problems.

In the past days and weeks, the fact the driving 'heroes' are often doing little more than keep their tyres alive at GP2-like pace has been a big topic of conversation.

Indeed, the Strategy Group declared last week that a package of changes for the future must be introduced to slash up to 6 seconds from current laptimes.

But Fernando Alonso thinks bringing another tyre supplier, such as Michelin, back into F1 is another good idea.

"In 2006 the tyres from Bridgestone and Michelin were amazing because they pushed each other to the limits," said the Spaniard.

But when the 'tyre war' era ended, tyre manufacturers in F1 could "relax", Alonso said.

When the idea of going into competition with Michelin was raised with Paul Hembery, Pirelli's F1 chief sounded unconvinced.

"We should look very carefully at the rules," he told El Confidencial.

"But it seems that no one is looking forward to a tyre war," added Hembery, "due to the current economic situation.

"In the end, formula one is a championship for teams and drivers. And as a manufacturer of tyres, when there was competition it is difficult to know how much the contribution to winning was really recognised.

"So there would have to be a very strong case to reopen the tyre war in F1," he added.

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